Love on the Inside
by WishFlower
Summary: Draco has no love in his heart so he was cursed with a monstrous appearence until he finds love. Hermione is lonely and can see better then he can. Can these two opposite people fall in love before Draco is trapped as a monster forever?
1. The Curse

**A/N so literally this has been in my head forver. Ive had this idea for a very long time and never actually got around to typing it out. I don't own anything. And im not sure if i should continue. Review and tell me?**

Draco stomped through the streets of wizarding London cursing his entire family and all of his friends. It was his twentieth birthday and they had thrown him a surprise party. He _hated _surprises. He liked being in control, and you had no control if you were surprised. Blaise had mentioned a night at their favourite club and that's what Draco thought he was in for. He imagined himself drinking too much Firewhiskey and hitting on pretty witches. He didn't think he would walk in the doors to have a hundred of his closest friends screaming 'Surprise!' at him and throwing handfuls of confetti at his face. He left immediately.

He was storming down Diagon Alley when he felt a small hand tug on his robes. He stopped in his tracks and turned to stare at the violator. It was a very old and weak looking witch. She was hunched over and wrapped in a thin black cloak. Her hair was like black straw and her nose was long and hooked. Her knarled hand was still tugging on Draco's expensive dress robes.

"Please, sir," She croaked, "Please, I beg you, a few knuts is all I ask!"

She shook small tin in front of his face and he shoved her away from him in disgust.

"No, you hag. Please leave me be. I am not in the mood to be generous." Draco said coldly.

"I'm sick, sir! I'm terribly ill and dying! I need the money for food and medicine!" She begged.

"Leave now before I make you." He growled.

"Sir, if you don't find it in your heart to be generous, you will regret it." She warned.

"I said go away! You will get nothing from me!"

Suddenly she transformed in front of his eyes form a hideous hag to a beautiful woman. Draco gasped. She wasn't – she _couldn't be – _human. Her hair was the colour of spun gold and rolled down her back to her waist in waves and curls like an ocean of honey. Her eyes were the colour of midnight and were now glaring at Draco coldly. She was tall and slender and her gorgeous body was draped in a loose white dress that hug her perfect curves and highlighted her best features. Draco dropped to his knees in awe. Tears were springing up in eyes from sheer shock at seeing such a heavenly creature.

"Forgive me." He murmured staring at the ground.

"Draco Malfoy I have seen that there is no kindness in your heart. Your heart is made of ice and stone. It is shrivelled and diseased and dying slowly. You are selfish and cruel and don't know how to love. So I'm going to make you as hideously ugly on the outside as you are inside." The woman said with a voice like fire.

Draco started upwards, "No – wait!" But it was too late.

She had waved her arms to the sky and then to Draco's body and performed magic on him without the aid of a wand. Suddenly he screamed in unbearable agony. It felt like his body was being set on fire and shredded to pieces at the same time. He doubled over in pain and screamed until his throat was raw. When the pain was finally over he was hunched, panting on the ground. She was still standing over him.

"There, Draco Malfoy. You have one year to find someone to love you despite your looks. Even though your face now reflects your heart, if you fall in love with someone and they return your love, you will go back to normal. However, if you do not find love within that one year, you will stay this way forever." She whispered darkly.

"Please, take it back! I'm sorry!" Draco cried but his voice sounded foreign. Instead of smooth, his voice now sounded rough and hoarse, as if he was gargling rocks as he spoke.

"It's too late. You should have been kinder. I'll be back on your twenty-first birthday." She said and vanished into thin air. But not as if she had disapparated. It seemed as though her body was slowly and quietly fading away until it was no longer there.

Draco looked around him. It was amazing that no one noticed this whole event on a crowded street on a warm evening. But it seemed like the mysterious woman had put some sort of spell around him so that no one could see him. He stood up and his movements broke the spell. Suddenly a woman saw him and screamed. The man next to her shouted and reached for his wand. Draco desperately disapparated to his home in fear and shame.

He opened the front door and walked into the sitting room to find his mother and father sitting by the fire and talking quietly. The both turned to look at who walked into the room but instead of looking happy as Draco expected, both of their jaws had dropped in horror.

Lucius reached for his wand and stood in front of Narcissa.

"Get out of my house, beast!" He shouted at Draco.

"No father! It's me! It's your son!" Draco pleaded.

Lucius paused for a moment and seemed to study him.

"Draco?" He said slowly.

"Yes! I don't know how this happened! Someone cast a curse on me! She wasn't quite human; I don't know what she was!" Draco cried.

Narcissa stood up slowly. "You are not my son." She said. "Leave my home, creature."

"Mother, no!"

"You are not my son!" She screamed again and Draco ran from the room, heartbroken. He was so sure his parents would believe him. As he ran through the hallways of his home, he happened to pass a mirror and froze in shock.

His body was warped and misshapen. His shoulders were hunched and his head completely bald. All of his skin was covered with bumps and hideous marks. His teeth were crooked and yellow and his left eyebrow bulged over his eye. His body no longer fit into his robes so they were ripping and stretching. His lips were chapped and cracked his nose was bent and stumpy. The only thing that looked the same about him was his eyes.

He gasped and shielded his eyes from the gruesome reflection. "I'm a monster." He whispered.

He apparated to the only place where a person might believe him and not try to kill him. He knocked on her door and she opened it holding a small child of about two years old with lime green hair.

"Aunt Andromeda." He mumbled. "I need your help."

"Draco?" She asked cautiously.

He nodded miserably.

"What happened to you?" She asked in horror.

"It's a long story." He whispered.

"Well, then come inside. You're safe now." And she ushered her beastly nephew into her tiny cottage and shut the door firmly behind him.

**A/N so this was the sort of not quite almost first chapter but mostly a prologue. Please please please tell me what you think and if i should continue or not! This was really an experiment and if i don't get enough reviews, ill just stop. I want to hear your opinions so please review! **


	2. The Job

**A/N thank you to Tale for the review, it means a lot to me. I don't own harry potter but i so badly wish i owned draco malfoy ;) and and by the way, i know the first chapter was told in draco POV but the rest of the story is from hermiones POV.**

Hermione woke up as usual in Harry's guest bedroom. It was tiny and cramped in there and Hermione really wished she had her own place. But a month before she was kicked out from her flat because she couldn't pay the rent. She had no choice but to move in with Harry and Ginny for a little while. It was either bunk with the newlyweds or stay with her ex-boyfriend, Ron. She picked the newlyweds.

As she got dressed she could hear, very faintly, Harry and Ginny talking in the next room and sighed. It was awkward for everyone that she was here. Her two friends had gotten married just three months ago and were, understandably, wanting some alone time. But they wouldn't kick out a friend in need so Hermione was stuck in this mildly uncomfortable living situation.

"See you later, 'Mione!" Ginny called as she fixed Harry's breakfast. Ginny was already in her green Holyhead Harpies Quidditch robes.

"Bye, Gin!" Hermione said to her ginger friend and disapparated from the tiny cottage.

Hermione apparated to St. Mungo's and walked through the front doors to the experimental wing in the back. Hermione was a research assistant at St. Mungo's which meant she invented new healing spells and potions and rediscovered old ones. She waved to her boss, Beatrice Brown and settled into her desk. Dr. Brown was somewhat like Professor McGonagall, tough but fair. Hermione pulled out the stack of books from within her desk and started to flip through them.

"Dr. Brown, there is someone here to see you." One of the other RA's said. It was Brenna, blonde and pretty but very competitive and sometimes rude.

Dr. Brown left and the man sitting at the desk next to Hermione leaned over and whispered, "I know what this is about. There's a woman here looking for a private RA."

"What do you mean, Connor?" Hermione whispered back.

"I saw her this morning when I came in. I don't know why, but she wants to hire an RA to come back and live with her in her house and work privately for her." The blonde haired man said to Hermione.

Dr. Brown stepped back into the room again and called out, "Hermione Granger, please come with me."

Connor smirked at her and Brenna glared. Hermione stood up and pushed her chair in. Every eye in the great work space was on her. She smoothed down her blouse and followed Dr. Brown out into one of the meeting rooms.

Hermione wished she had on nicer clothes. She was in a back room all day and Dr. Brown didn't really care what they wore so Hermione was wearing her favourite jeans, a white button down shirt and a black robe over top. She walked into the room and gasped at who she saw.

"Andromeda Tonks?" She asked in astonishment.

"Hello, Hermione." Andromeda smiled warmly at her. "Dr. Brown, can I have a moment alone with Miss Granger?"

Dr. Brown nodded and left them alone.

"Miss Granger, I have an offer for you. I would like to hire you to come and work for me personally. I need someone to cure someone very close to me of a terrible curse. It is a very delicate matter and I don't wish to inform the public of this." Mrs Tonks said.

Hermione frowned. This sounded kind of dodgy.

Andromeda seemed to catch onto her hesitancy, "Don't worry. This is perfectly legal. I just need your help. I trust you, Hermione. And I spoke to your boss and you're the most qualified research assistant here."

"How long do I have to think about this?" Hermione asked.

"I would need someone as soon as possible. A day or two at the most if that's okay with you."

"And how long will this project last for?" Hermione asked.

"You must understand... this case is something very different. I have never heard of anything like it before. I'm not sure how long we will need you for exactly, but no more than a year. And if you need more persuading, your payment will be two hundred thousand galleons upfront and another two hundred thousand when you find a cure." Andromeda said seriously.

Hermione's jaw dropped. Four hundred thousand galleons? This could pay off all her debts! Not to mention she won't have to live with Harry and Ginny anymore. She would be set up for life! It would be foolish not to accept this job. But she couldn't shake the feeling she wasn't being told the whole truth.

"I would also like you to live in my house to better help and it would speed up the process. Of course, it would be free room and board."

"I'll think about it, Andromeda. I'll get back to you by tomorrow morning." Hermione promised the lady.

Later that night Hermione was still dazzled by the offer.

"I don't know, 'Mione." Harry said slowly, "It sounds kind of suspicious. Why won't she tell you the whole story? Why can't she take the cursed person to St. Mungo's? It doesn't feel right."

"I think it sounds like a great idea! You should take that offer! You can't pass up four hundred thousand galleons! Not to mention the living arrangement." Ginny said, spooning mashed potatoes onto her husband's plate.

"Oh, you just want me out of your house." Hermione teased.

"No really! What if you discover some ground-breaking new medication? Isn't this what you've been working for your whole career?" Ginny said.

"I think Andromeda Tonks wouldn't purposely send me into a bad situation. Besides, I could really use the money." Hermione said quietly.

"Alright, but let us know when you get there. I'm still worried." Harry said, frowning.

"You worry too much!" Ginny laughed.

Hermione immediately sent a letter to Andromeda using her owl, Athena. She had a reply within a half hour.

_Hermione,_

_I am so excited that you accepted! You are the best person for this job. Please apparate to this address tomorrow morning at nine am. 212 Danburry Lane, Scotland. Can't wait to see you!_

_Sincerely, _

_Andromeda Tonks_

Hermione ran to the guest room to start packing. Ginny was right, she could find some amazing new discovery to help the world of modern healing! Besides, she would be helping the cursed person Andromeda hired her for. Hermione wondered who that might be. She wasn't sure who was close enough to Andromeda that the lady would take such an interest in. Was something wrong with Teddy Lupin? Hermione prayed not. If anything happened to Teddy, Harry would just die.

The next morning at 8:30, Hermione was packed and ready to go. She had eaten breakfast and cleaned the guest room and kitchen. She was anxious and excited, like how she always felt on her first day of school.

"Calm down, Hermione. It's going to be fine." Ginny said soothingly.

"But what if I can't cure them? What if it's too difficult?" Hermione cried.

"But, you're the smartest witch of your generation! You can cure anyone!" Harry exclaimed.

"Harry, you exaggerate. Or what if this person doesn't like me? What if I can't get it done within the year?" Hermione wailed. Her panic was bubbling dangerously close to the surface.

"Listen to me, Hermione. You are going to be amazing. Just remember to send us an owl every other day and try to floo in every once in a while. But if you can't cure them within the year, you can always live with us! I mean, we're probably going to have kids eventually, but the couch is very comfortable!" Harry said soothingly.

"Not helping!" Hermione and Ginny shouted at the same time.

"It's nine, Hermione. You should go now." Ginny said.

"Alright. I'll send you an owl tonight and let you know how I'm doing." Hermione said, hugging her two friends. She then twirled on the spot and landed on deserted Scottish Moors.

The sky was dark with rain clouds and air was cool. The land around her was empty and rolling. Sharp wind was blowing the distant smell of the ocean to her. She took in this haunted, heartbroken land and her eyes fell on her new home. She gasped in shock. It was a castle. Complete with towers and dark windows, it looked like it fell out of the seventeenth century. She took a deep breath and walked towards it.

She knocked on the huge wooden door and waited for someone to answer it. She smoothed a wrinkle in her skirt, feeling grateful that she was wearing a more professional outfit today. She was wearing a dark blue, high waist pencil skirt, a creamy white blouse and dark blue heels. Her unruly curls were tied up in a bun at the back of her head.

"Oh, Hermione! I'm so glad you're here! I thought you weren't coming!" Andromeda cried as she swung open the giant door.

Mrs Tonks was wearing jeans and plain robes. She was holding little Teddy Lupin and looking tired but relieved.

"Come in, come in! Let me show you around and explain the job more clearly." Andromeda said.

"Thank you again, Mrs Tonks. I'm so grateful for this job and I want you to know that I will try my absolute hardest to cure the curse. But can I meet this person please? To better understand what I'm dealing with." Hermione requested.

"Oh. No. That wouldn't be a good idea. If you have any questions, you will ask me. You will not be in any contact with this person at all. I will tell you everything you need to know." Andromeda said seriously.

"Okay..." Hermione said slowly.

"So this castle has been in the Black family for centuries. It was my sisters, but since she passed away, it's now mine. I moved out here because it was the safest place to be, considering that this was usually used as a hideaway and no one outside of the family knows about it. There are no house elves here so I will be doing all the cooking. I'm going to ask that you please not wander the castle alone, and especially not at night." Andromeda said cryptically.

Hermione nodded. Andromeda gave her a tour of the large and dusty castle and the more Hermione saw, the weirder she felt. It was all so strange, this job. Andromeda pointed out all the rooms and finally they came to the library.

"And this is where you will be spending most of your time." Andromeda said, gesturing to the wide room.

Hermione's eyes were as wide as saucers. There were more books in here then she had ever seen in her life! Not even Hogwarts had this many books! There was an oak desk and wing back chair near the left of the room and huge picture windows and a fireplace at the back. She ran her fingers over the dusty spines and couldn't wait to crack them open.

"Let me show you to your room." Andromeda said.

They walked up two flights of stairs then down a hall and she opened the door. The room was very nice with cream coloured bedspread and lilac accents everywhere. It had a bay window that looked out onto the back gardens. The attached bathroom was fancy with a claw footed tub and marble countertops.

"I hope you'll be comfortable here." Andromeda said quietly. "I serve breakfast at eight o'clock and lunch at twelve. Dinner is at seven. Oh and here is your first payment."

Andromeda gave her a cheque for two hundred thousand galleons and left the room. Hermione was left wondering how on earth she will find her way back to the library.

**A/N sorry for the long wait but ive been busy. I hope you like this chapter and many things will be cleared up in upcoming chapters. If you have any questions or critisms, i would love to hear about them. Peace out! **


	3. Meeting at Last

**A/N yes! I got two reviews last chapter! Which was one more then the first chapter! Lets aim for three reviews this chapter shall we? And i don't own HP or its characters.**

Hermione ran her fingers through her tangled hair and groaned with frustration. She had already been at the castle for a little over a week but she had made no progress. She still hadn't met this mysterious cursed person and all Andromeda told her about the curse was that the person was cursed to be hideously deformed. Hermione dropped her head onto the desk and sighed. She could feel a headache building behind her eyes and her whole body was exhausted. But it was only 6:30 and she still had to get through dinner and then the rest of the evening before she could crawl into her warm bed. She decided to write to Harry and Ginny.

_Dear Harry and Ginny, _

_I have made no progress with the curse but instead am filling my days with tiny text and old English. These books haven't been touched since the eighteen hundreds and are falling apart at the seams. The most modern book in this library is about curing scurvy. I'm sorry, I'm whining aren't I? On the plus side, Andromeda is very kind and an excellent cook (but not as good as your mother, Ginny dear). I have my own room and little Teddy calls me 'Herma' since he can't pronounce my full name. I should go, I can smell dinner cooking. Mmm, I think it's Sheppard's pie! _

_Love always, _

_Hermione_

_PS. How is Luna's trip to find the Crumple-Horned Snorkack? She's in Australia now isn't she? I haven't been in contact with her since she left Germany. And she went with that Rolf fellow didn't she? Anyway, if you hear from her, send her my love. _

Hermione leaned out the window into the warm June air and whistled for her owl to come. She heard the flutter of wings and her owl, Athena landed on the windowsill. She tied the letter to the owl's leg and Athena took off again. Hermione checked her watch and decided to head down for dinner.

"Hello, Hermione." Andromeda said warmly.

"Hi, Andromeda. Hey, Teddy!" Hermione said.

"Herma, Herma! Look!" Teddy exclaimed and held up a picture he drew of something lumped and misshapen and covered in a black cloak. The thing was standing by the castle and Hermione couldn't really get a good look at it.

Hermione tilted her head in confusion but smiled at the child anyway, "What is that supposed to be, Teddy? Is that a person?"

Andromeda ripped the paper from her grandson's hands and turned it away from Hermione's line of sight. "Oh, what a good picture honey! I'm going to keep it in a safe place so it doesn't get lost!" She shoved it into her pocket and turned back to the stove shakily.

Hermione was confused but questioned nothing. She knew Andromeda wouldn't tell her and Teddy was most likely too young to know the full story. She watched Teddy drew another picture – a cat this time – and she wondered if he had any idea what was happening. Did he realize that his parents had died to ensure a safer future for him? Or that he was locked away in a castle in Scotland because his grandmother was guarding something cursed and possibly dangerous?

Andromeda put a plate of Sheppard's pie in front of her and they ate in silence. Teddy showed them all his drawing of a purple cat and they congratulated him on his artistic prowess. He blushed pink and his hair became the colour of his rosy cheeks.

The dinner ended and Teddy went outside with his grandmother to play in the gardens a bit before bed. As they were leaving the room, Andromeda turned and said to Hermione, "Would you like to join us?"

So Hermione spent the evening chasing Teddy around as he zoomed through the flowers on his miniature broomstick. He changed himself to look like Hermione which made her double up with laughter. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw someone in the window, but when she looked up, they were gone.

Andromeda had obviously seen the same thing Hermione had because she had a brief worried look on her face and quickly ushered Teddy upstairs to his room.

"But Gamma! Me no want to go bed!" Teddy wailed.

"Too bad. It's past your bedtime and if you stay in the garden after bedtime, monsters will come out who love to eat little boys!" Andromeda said with a ferocious look on her face.

Teddy gasped and glanced nervously at the rose bushes. He clutched his grandmother's hand and whispered, "I no scared, Gamma."

"Really?" Hermione said, jumping into this game. "You should be. I've seen them before. They're _huge. _And they're _blue _with fur growing all over they're body and horns growing out of their head. They have a terrible temper and they are _always _hungry."

"But the only way to be safe is to go to bed on time. They don't eat little boys who listen to their Grandmothers and go to bed when they're supposed to. They only eat disobedient children." Andromeda said.

Both women glanced at each other, trying to hide their grins, and then nodded seriously at Teddy. He took a gulp of air and finally said, "'Kay, Gamma. I go inside."

Andromeda smiled and picked him up. They started to walk towards the castle and Teddy called over his Grandmother's shoulder, "Come, Herma! Before monster eats you!"

Hermione chuckled and followed the little family up the path to the door. She looked up at the window, but saw nothing. Whoever was there disappeared.

Hermione was sitting in her neat and comfortable guest room, combing out her thick hair and solving formulas in her head. She was sitting in dark blue pyjama pants and a loose white t-shirt. Her head was lost in space thinking about everything from what to get Ginny for her birthday to body morphing spells.

She gave up trying to figure out the problem that night and crawled into the large bed. She spread her body out and half wished that she was still with Ron. She got a little lonely sometimes – especially at night – and just wanted to be with someone again. They got into a disastrous fight after graduating from Hogwarts after going back and redoing their seventh year. In the end, they were just too different. They wanted different things out of life. Now Hermione hardly ever saw Ron. She missed the way things were before. She just wanted to be his friend, nothing more.

She fell into a restless sleep and tossed and turned for most of the night. Around three in the morning, she woke with a jolt. She had half-formed ideas running through her head concerning the curse. She threw off the covers off her and jumped from the bed. She stepped into a pair of slippers, grabbed her wand and raced downstairs to the library.

She flipped through books, impatience and exhaustion making her crazy. Spells and potion recipes flashed through her mind while she turned the pages faster and faster. Suddenly, she had the oddest feeling that she was being watched. The hairs on the back of neck were standing and she slowly reached for her wand. She put down the book and turned towards the door.

"Who's there?" She called, "Show yourself!"

Something moved within the shadows and Hermione gripped her wand tighter. The only light was from the moonlight coming through the window and the little candle burning on the desk.

"_Lumos." _Hermione whispered and flashed the light into the dark corner. The person ducked behind a bookshelf before she could see anymore then black cloak.

"I said, come out! Before I will be forced to make you!" Hermione cried, swallowing her fear and trying to summon up her Gryffindor bravery.

No answer from the cloaked person.

"Alright! _Accio-"_

"No, stop! I am the master of this house. It would not be wise to use magic against me." The person said, a man she could tell. He had a deep, rough voice like rocks smashing together.

Hermione gasped. This was the person who had been so badly cursed!

"Please, come forward! I would love to meet you! I'm actually working on the cure right now!" Hermione called to him.

"You were told not to wander about at night." He growled. "You should not be here."

"I-I'm sorry! I just had a brilliant idea! Let me tell you about it. And you could tell me more about your curse!" Hermione said.

A long silence followed. Hermione grew restless standing beside the oak desk in the moonlight. She wanted to go forward anyway and force that person to talk to her. But she knew if she did, she would most likely be fired not mention probably hexed.

"No." He finally said. "Tell me from here."

She sighed, "Alright. What I was thinking was that we could make a Polyjuice potion using a hair or something from before you were cursed and then maybe that would make you take your appearance of before you, er, changed. But then you would have to drink it every hour would which could get complicated. But maybe if I – oh this is ridiculous! Just come out and talk to me!" She cried, frustrated.

"You don't want to help me! You're just in this for the money! What do you care if I spend the rest of my life as a freak locked away in a castle?" He cried.

"No! Please... I really do want to help. Just... come here." She said quietly.

He slowly dragged himself towards her. He stood about twenty feet from her, the cloak still covering all of his features.

Hermione said softly, "Take off the cloak."

He cautiously reached up for the hood of the cloak and after a deep breath, he threw it back. Hermione couldn't help it, she gasped in shock. He was so completely horrifying to look at. The hair was gone from his head and his whole face was covered in bumps and scratches. His lips were dried out and cracked and his eyebrow stuck out grotesquely over his eye. His teeth were yellow and brown and crooked. His back hunched and his leg dragged. She covered her mouth in horror.

Pain flashed through his eyes, "I'm a monster, aren't I? Take a good look at the beast! This is what you wanted wasn't it? To see my hideous form? Are you happy now, Granger?" He shouted.

Her eyes widened at what he said. No one called her Granger except for a certain person. A person who had made her childhood miserable. A person who tormented her friends and humiliated her on more than one occasion. He seemed to realize what he said at the same time she did. Their eyes met and she looked into the face of Draco Malfoy.

**A/N so now Hermione finally knows who shes working for. I would seriously love some feedback on this one, guys. So if it isn't too much trouble... review? **


	4. Working Together

**A/N sorry its been so long but ive been dealing with things and ive been in a terrible mood. But never mind that now! Im back and i still don't own anything!**

Hermione woke up on the floor of the library with a scowl on her face and the sun in her eyes. She got up from the hard wooden floor and rubbed her aching head. The last thing she remembered was seeing Draco's hurt and startled face before he Stunned her and ran from the room. She was still in shock that _he _was the one with the terrible curse who needed to be saved. Hermione felt certain coldness in her. Let him suffer with this deformity. She thought bitterly. God knows he made fun of her because of her teeth for years. He _deserves _this. It's payback for all the times he humiliated people.

But as she put away the books she was knew that wasn't true. She was only thinking this way because he had hurt her. Whatever this was, she knew somewhere deep inside her, that _she _had to be the one to save him. She sighed and glanced out the window. The sun was up but it couldn't be any later then six or seven in the morning. She went to her room and had a quick shower before coming back to the library to continue her research.

"Good morning, Hermione." Andromeda said as she walked into the room a little while later.

"Oh, hello Andromeda!" Hermione said back.

But another person followed her into the room and Hermione gasped and blushed simultaneously. Draco was still wearing the black cloak and avoiding looking at her. Her gaze dropped to the floor and she fiddled with a piece of parchment.

"Hermione, Draco has told me that you two met in the library late last night." Andromeda said. Hermione winced even though Andromeda didn't sound angry.

"I'm sorry, I know you told me not to wander around but I just had a brilliant idea and I had to see if it would work!" Hermione cried desperately.

"I'm not mad, Hermione Actually, I'm a little relieved. Now nothing needs to be hidden. But I do know of your past history. So even though the two of you aren't the closest of friends, I want you to put aside your differences for the greater good." Andromeda said seriously.

Hermione looked shyly in Draco's direction only to see him glaring at her with disgust. Her compassion faded away to be replaced by anger. He would never change. No matter how monstrous he looked, he would always be better than a 'mudblood'.

"Alright now, who wants breakfast? But to finish, shake hands you two." Andromeda said to the young adults who were glaring at each other icily from across the room.

Hermione stuck out her hand first. Slowly, Draco's knarled hand came out from underneath the cloak. His hand was rough and bumpy when Hermione clasped it briefly. As their hands touched, their eyes met. Hermione as startled to see that Draco's stunning silver eyes were unaffected by the curse. They were just as striking and bright as they had been at Hogwarts. She blushed and quickly pulled her hand from his grasp. He dropped his own hand a second later.

Andromeda clasped her hands cheerfully, "Excellent! Who's in the mood for pancakes?"

They followed her into the kitchen where Teddy was sitting in his highchair drinking orange juice and playing with his pancakes.

"Herma! Dray!" He cried when he saw them. He immediately changed his appearance to look like both Draco and Hermione at the same time. He ended up looking like Hermione with horrible scratches and scars down his face. Hermione gasped. She turned away because she couldn't stand to look at herself with Draco's deformity. Seeing herself so scarred was horrifying.

"Teddy, stop it." Draco told his cousin gently. Teddy pouted but turned back into himself only with aquamarine hair.

Hermione looked at Draco only to see him staring at her as if he was studying her. At the same time, they blushed and turned away from each other. Andromeda handed them both a plate of pancakes. Hermione ate slowly, stealing quick looks at her childhood nemesis. He had changed and it wasn't just his outward appearance. He seemed to carry himself differently, instead of throwing his shoulders back and flaunting himself to the world; it was like he did everything he could to be invisible. He caught her looking at him and shot her a cold glare which she returned.

Later that day, she was in the library reading four hundred year old textbooks when Draco wandered into the room and said with a drawl, "You okay there Granger? You sure you can handle this kind of responsibility? This is the real world now. No more Professors and House points."

"I can handle this, Malfoy! If you're so worried that I won't be able to cure you in a year then by all means, pull up a chair and find the damn cure yourself!" She snarled.

He gave her a smirk that made her want to rip her hair out and then – without breaking eye contact with her – grabbed a chair and sat across from her. He snatched the book she was reading out of her hands and flipped through it, bored. She clenched her teeth to stop the angry rant that was sure to burst forward.

"Fine." She snapped, "These are the notes I made on that spell. Try to add to it if it isn't too difficult for you."

The next couple of hours were spent in awkward silence. Occasionally, their eyes would meet and they would scowl angrily at each other. But mostly, Draco was completely absorbed in the text. Hermione was reminded that this was dreadfully important to him. It wasn't just about a pay check, this was his life.

Hermione yawned and rubbed her tired eyes, "I think I'm going to take a break now. My eyes are killing me."

"No! You've barely done any work at all!" Draco yelled at her.

"Malfoy, I've been sitting here for two weeks! I'm exhausted, and my head aches!" She shouted back.

"Sit down Granger!" He screamed, "You lazy bitch! I knew a mudblood like you could never do anything this important!"

She flinched as if she had been slapped. "Fine." She hissed. "If you think I can't do the job properly, then I quit. Good luck finding the cure on your own."

She ran from the room, tears fogging her vision. She hurriedly wiped them away because there was nothing to cry over. She was outside with her wand out and about to dissaparate away when she heard someone calling her name. She turned to see Draco chasing her down the path, his left leg dragging slightly.

"Granger, Granger!" He panted, his breath coming in jagged breaths.

"What?" She barked at him. "What else could you _possibly _say to me? I already know that you think I am an unworthy mudblood and a lazy bitch! What did you leave out?"

He looked to be going through severe pain. He pushed the words out from his rough lips, "I... I'm sorry, Granger. Come back."

"Why would I want to help save someone who hates me? I want to help you, but obviously you think I can't."

"That's not true." He muttered. "I know you can do it. I just... I just thought that you would purposely... sabotage..."

"What?" She said incredulously. "You think I would do something to you so that you'll never be cured? I would never do that. As hard as it may be for you to believe, I honestly do want to help you. I won't get you back for all the things you did to me when we were younger. Even though you mocked my appearance for years, I'm going to let that go. Because I am a good person. Unlike _you." _She finished coldly.

"You think you're so sweet and innocent and I'm evil personified? Well guess again, princess. My life isn't as blessed as you think it is. Look at me! I'm cursed! My own parents won't let me in their house! I'm stuck out in the highland moors with people I barely know! This is hard for me, but I'm _trusting _you, Granger!"

They stood in heated silence while the freezing Scottish rain beat down on them. The wind howled as if it were partaking in their argument and the clouds made the evening sky look like midnight. Hermione was breathing deeply as if she had just run a race but she couldn't take her eyes off of Draco's face. Even though it was disturbing to look at, she had never seen it so open. She had never seen his eyes so serious.

"Come on." She finally said quietly, "I'll make us some hot chocolate and we can get back to those old books."

He tried to hide it, but she could see his smile.

**A/N review please? *puppy dog eyes* **


	5. Babysitting

**A/N thanks for the reviews guys! It really inspires me. I don't own anything, no im actually JKR and how i get my kicks in life is writing fanfics for my own characters. LOL. Im kidding, btw. **

"So... just turn to the side." Hermione said awkwardly.

She was doing some tests on Draco that involved his shirt being off. Her cheeks were glowing crimson and she avoided looking directly into his eyes.

She waved her wand down the side of body, doing a complex spell that allowed her to see his bones and muscles.

"Okay, now sit up." She commanded. He sat in her front of her, his pale misshapen chest right in front of her. She ran her hands over his shoulders and chest. She could feel him shiver.

"Don't touch me!" He said.

She gave him a look. "Don't be a child. I'm trained to feel for magical injuries. It's not like... I get _pleasure _from running my hands all over you or something."

She looked up just as he was looking down at her. Their eyes met and she lost herself in them for a second, before an awkward cough brought her back to reality. She ripped her hands off Draco's deformed chest and jumped away from him.

"I'm going to Hogsmeade to pick up some potion supplies I ordered. Will you be alright if I leave you here?" Andromeda asked.

"Yes, of course!" Hermione answered immediately. "I'll just be working in here all day."

"Oh Draco, can you watch Teddy for me? Thank you. I'll be back around five." Andromeda tossed floo powder into the fireplace and disappeared.

"Well then I guess you better go babysit." Hermione said and handed him his shirt without looking at him.

"I don't know how to look after a child." Draco said.

"I have work to do. You're going to have to figure it out on your own." Hermione snapped at him.

"Oh please. You're not that busy." Draco said back.

"Excuse me for trying to save _your _life."

"Just watch him until my aunt gets back! You can search for the cure and watch Teddy at the same time!" He cried.

"Maybe, if you told me more about this mysterious curse of yours." She said, raising one eyebrow. When he said nothing she continued, "I thought so. So, no. I can't babysit your cousin. You do it."

He glared at her and left. She settled into the chair again and looked through her notes. Nothing _inside _Draco had changed, it was purely physical. She thought again about making a Polyjuice Potion with some of Draco's DNA. Maybe he would turn into himself before he changed?

"Herma, play with me." A little voice said to her. She leaned across her desk and looked over. Teddy Lupin with flaming red hair and purple eyes stared back at her impishly.

"What happened to Mal – Draco?" She asked tiredly.

"He said you pway with me." Teddy said with a grin.

Hermione said and took his hand, "Come on, Teddy. Let's find that lazy cousin of yours. Do you know where he is?"

Teddy dragged her down to the kitchen where Hermione found Draco stuffing his grotesque mouth with pumpkin pasties.

"Malfoy, I am _working! _I don't have time to play!" Hermione shouted at him.

"Well I don't know the first thing about watching a child! You spent every summer with the Weasley's! surely Mother Weasel taught you something about children!" He said cruelly.

"Would you please shut up about them? What did they ever do to you?" She shouted back.

"Actually – "

"Stop it! You _both _pway wif me!" Teddy pouted.

"Fine." Draco said, surprising Hermione. "As long as I don't have to do this alone."

They ended up on the lawn behind the house. Teddy had a little toy broomstick and he kept zooming around their legs with it. Despite being mad at Draco, Hermione found herself laughing at the toddler and playing with him.

Hermione laughed as Teddy passed by her, shrieking with joy. She turned to his cousin and said, "See, this isn't so hard."

Draco's horrible face seemed out of place in the bright garden with cheerful flowers waving in the summer breeze. "Maybe not. But just wait until I get my own broom."

He came back out with his fancy Firebolt. "We only have one broom."

"Oh that's okay." Hermione said quickly. "I'll just supervise."

She watched as the two boys zipped around the lawn on their brooms. Teddy's couldn't get more than three feet off the ground and Draco stayed with him the whole time. Hermione was surprised at how gentle he was being with Teddy. She was too used to him being cruel and angry.

Teddy was laughing and his hair was changing from orange to green to blue to yellow every few seconds. When all of a sudden, his laughter stopped. He had flown too close to a tree and wasn't stopping.

"Draco!" Hermione screamed just as Teddy was about to fly straight into a tree.

Draco lay almost flat to his broom stick so he could catch Teddy. Hermione ran towards them as fast as she could, her long cloak tangling her legs. She reached out and pulled Teddy into her arms. She didn't realize she was crying until she saw the wet marks left on Teddy's hair from her pressing her face onto him. She swallowed a sob and held him in her arms. For once, he was silent. He seemed to be as shaken as she was but still in too much of a shock to cry.

"Let's go inside now." Draco murmured. And when she didn't move, he gently pulled her along with him inside the castle. She collapsed into a kitchen chair and wiped the tears off her cheeks. Teddy was still silent and she got him a glass of milk and hurried him off to bed for a nap. She curled up in the chair brought her legs up to her chest.

"That was scary." She mumbled with tears pouring down her face.

Draco didn't say anything.

"I thought he was going to crash into that tree." She muttered.

"You called me Draco." He blurted out.

"What?" Hermione whispered.

"When Teddy was about to hit the tree, you called my name. You said Draco. Not Malfoy." He said softly.

Hermione's eyes widened. She might have said that, she couldn't really remember. The only thought in her mind was for the little boy she had grown to care about. She furrowed her brow and pursed her lips.

"I don't remember that. I was in the moment. Just forget it." She told him quickly.

"Oh. Okay." He said awkwardly. "Well... I was just thinking... since we are going to have to be living and working together for a while... we might as well call each other by our first names."

"Oh!" Hermione said in surprise. She couldn't decide how she felt about this. On one hand, he was Draco Malfoy, but on the other hand, he wasn't acting or looking much like the Draco Malfoy she knew in her school days.

"Alright then. Dr –Draco." She stuttered nervously.

He smirked at her and said calmly, "Hermione."

She couldn't help but blush at how he said her name. It was different then how Harry or Ginny or Ron said it. Draco drew it out longer and his new raspy voice made it sound much different. She glanced at him shyly and he opened his mouth, as if he was going to say something.

"Hey guys. How was your afternoon?" Andromeda said as she walked into the kitchen, her arms full of bags.

Hermione and Draco looked at each other nervously. How would they tell her what happened?

Draco took a breath and said, "Well, you see Andromeda. It went like this..."

**A/N sorry its a little short. Anyone care to review? **


	6. Diagon Alley

**A/N sorry its been so long. I am drowning in homework. Its not really much of an excuse but its all i have. And i don't own HP.**

"So what are you doing today?" Hermione asked Draco as they side by side at the old oak desk reading old medical textbooks.

"Searching for a cure. Same as yesterday." He said slowly.

"I was wondering if you wanted to come to Diagon Alley with me today. Hogwarts is starting soon and every year Harry, Ginny and I would go down to Diagon Alley a few days before the start of term to see all the new students and partake in the madness." Hermione explained.

Her stared at her incredulously for a second before saying shortly, "No."

"Why not?"

"_Why not? _Look at me! I can't be seen like this!" He cried.

"You could do a Disillusionment Charm ..." Hermione trailed off.

"We tried that remember? No covering spell will work on this curse. No body morphing spells, no invisibility spells, and no Disillusionment Charms." Draco said bitterly.

"Well what about just wearing an Invisibility Cloak? I know your aunt has one!" She suggested.

He shook his head, "That's too risky."

"We could make it work!" She said stubbornly.

"Granger, I don't know how you got this idea in your head that we're friends. We're not." Draco said coldly.

"Sorry for bothering you then." She snapped back, equally as cold. "I assumed you had changed."

She got up from the desk, slammed her textbook shut and stormed away from him. Stupid, arrogant, conceited, self-righteous, ridiculous, ignorant, rude. No word seemed bad enough for Draco Malfoy. Hermione scowled ferociously at the portraits She was foolish to assume he was different now. He would always be a cruel git.

She walked into her bedroom and slammed her door shut. It was slightly satisfying to hear the smash and feel her room shake so she opened up her door and slammed it again. She continued to repeatedly slam her door until an irritated looking Andromeda was standing on the other side of her battered door.

"Hermione, I would appreciate it if you _didn't _repeatedly slam your bedroom door. I'm trying to get Teddy to go down for a nap." Andromeda said, crossing her arms.

"I'm so sorry." Hermione apologized, ashamed. "I'm just in a bad mood, I guess."

"Oh? What's wrong?"

"Well... truth be told, it's about your nephew. He is kind and funny one second and ice cold the next. I don't understand." Hermione said honestly.

"Oh, honey." Andromeda said sympathetically. "Boys will never stop being confusing. And Draco's been feelings really different lately. He said that it's strange to be alone with almost complete strangers. Most likely, he is looking for some company and goes to you. But then remembers that he's supposed to hate you. No offense."

Hermione dropped her gaze to the floor, "It's okay. I guess I feel the same way about him. I never hated him, you know. Never. Harry and Ron did, of course. But to me, he was just another student. An arrogant, insensitive student, but just a regular student nonetheless."

Andromeda murmured comfortingly, "Why don't you take a bath, hon, and I'll see about our bipolar curse magnet."

Hermione chuckled and went into her bathroom to turn the tub on. She slipped into the bubbly water and shut her eyes blissfully. She rested her head against the wall of the tub and tried to shut out the world. She slid down the tub and underneath the water, letting it rush over her face and hair.

When she emerged from her watery cocoon, she found one very irritated Draco Malfoy waiting in her room.

"Malfoy!" She cried in shock, "What are you doing in here?"

She felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment. She was only wearing a simple bathrobe and a towel around her sopping hair.

"Control yourself, Granger. I didn't come in here to gawk at your body if that's what you're thinking." He said coolly. "I just wanted to tell you that I would be willing to accompany you to Diagon Alley if you want to go that badly."

"Oh that's great! No get out of my room, bloody pervert!" Hermione cried and threw the nearest thing in reach – a book on magical diseases – at him.

"I was only trying to be nice!" He shouted as he ran from the room.

Hermione cursed at him under her breath and collapsed into an easy chair.

"Did I just hear Draco leave? I assume he told you about his plans involving Diagon Alley." Andromeda said as she marched into Hermione's room uninvited. Hermione jumped with a start. How many people were going to wander into her room uninvited before they figured out she was half naked?

"Gamma..." Teddy said as he toddled into the room. Hermione sighed, of course.

"Yes, Draco was just in here telling me about it. Now if you excuse me..." She hinted, gesturing to her bathrobe.

"Oh of course. Sorry my dear." Andromeda said and picked up her grandson and left the room. She turned at the doorway and said, "I'm making lunch, are you hungry?"

"Yes thank you." Hermione said then hoping Andromeda would leave, opened up her bureau.

"Would you like soup or sandwiches?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Alright then, see you in a few!"

Hermione groaned and fell into the chair again. Living in this house was exhausting. She got dressed quickly and decided to write a quick letter to Ginny and Harry.

_Dear Ginny and Harry, _

_Hello, sorry I haven't written in a while, it's been really chaotic here. No progress yet on the cure but I'm still trying of course! How is your family, Ginny? Has George perfected the Drinkable Clothing yet? You would never believe who I am working for... Draco Malfoy. I'm sorry I didn't tell you until now, but I wasn't sure how you'd react. It's not all bad, sometimes he is only a little obnoxious. Teddy and Andromeda are doing fine and I'll see you on my birthday. _

_All my love, _

_Hermione Granger_

Hermione sent it off with her Tawny owl and went to the kitchen where a plate of sandwiches and a steaming bowl of vegetable soup were waiting for her.

"Eat quickly, so you can go as soon as possible!" Andromeda urged. "The shops close at seven!"

"But it's only one." Hermione pointed out.

"You never know how long you're going to be!" Andromeda exclaimed.

It took another half an hour to dissapparate from the castle. Andromeda wouldn't stop fussing over Draco and by the time they left, he was in a temper.

"So where do you want to go? Can we go to Madam Malkin's? I need new dress robes." Hermione said out of the corner of her mouth, as to not attract attention to the fact that she appeared to be talking to herself.

"No." Draco said shortly. "I want to go to Quality Quidditch Supplies."

"Well, tough. I need new dress robes."

"And I don't want to stand around for an hour and a half while you decide which robes will make you look the least hideous."

"I don't think _you _should be calling other people hideous right now, Malfoy."

"And I think you need to realize that whatever set of robes you're wearing, it doesn't change the fact that you are a bushy haired mudblood."

"Shut up! Just shut up!" Hermione shouted at him. "Stop calling me that! I am not a-"

"Are you alright dear?" An elderly witch asked Hermione, looking concerned.

Hermione realized that she was screaming at someone no one could see and looked quite mad. She brushed that hair out of her face and tried not to blush. "Yes thank you, ma'am."

The woman nodded, still looking a bit unnerved, and walked away. Hermione couldn't see him, but she could hear Draco's quiet laughter.

"Oh, shut up." She muttered.

It was awkward to walk through the streets of Diagon Alley because people kept almost stepping into Draco and Hermione looked crazy if she tried to talk to him. They ended up going to the Three Broomsticks.

Hermione got a butterbeer for herself and didn't know if she should be ordering a second one. She bought a bottle of water and sat in the far corner of the full room. She pushed the water over to the chair she knew Draco was sitting in and took a sip of the butterbeer.

"Why didn't you get me a butterbeer?" He hissed angrily.

"Because how would it look to see me buy two butterbeers for myself? Really Malfoy, use your head." She said.

"I swear, you are the most infuriating person I have ever met in my entire life." He growled. She shrugged and took another sip of her drink.

"Oh no..." She muttered in horror. She could see Ron Weasley standing by the bar. She crouched down in her hair and tried to cover her face with her drink.

"What is it? Oh, its him." She could hear the distaste in Draco's voice, even though she couldn't see his face.

"No, no, no!" Hermione whispered to herself as she saw him see her and start to walk over.

"Hey, 'Mione." Ron said as he plopped himself down into the chair beside Hermione.

"Oh, hi Ron." She said.

"So you here alone?" He asked, looking around.

She couldn't help it, she glanced at Draco's chair. But of course, she didn't see him. "Yeah, it's just me."

"I'm alone too. Maybe you would want to hang out together?" He asked.

Hermione forced herself to wipe the look of disgust off her face. "Wow, Ron. I'm flattered, but remember how our relationship ended? I just don't think it would be a good idea."

"Are you seeing someone else?"

"No, but-"

"Then I don't see why we shouldn't get back together!"

"Ron! Listen to me! We aren't good together, we were _never _good together! We fought all the time and you never listened to me! And then Lavender-"

"Don't bring her into this!"

"_You _were the one who brought her 'into this' when you cheated on me with her!" Hermione screamed. The bar suddenly went silent. Hermione could feel the stares of a dozen eyes and the hot tears rolling down her face.

She ran out of the warm pub and through the streets of Diaagon Alley. She ran into a place that always brought her comfort – a bookshop. She opened the dusty door into the empty room and ran up the rickety set of stairs to the upper floor where the books on more serious branches of magic were kept. The hazy afternoon light was leaving pools of gold on the floor and the silence made everything seem more relaxing. Hermione breathed deeply.

"Granger." A gravelly said behind her. She turned around to see Draco Malfoy standing in front of her without the invisibility cloak on.

"No! What are you doing? Get that cloak back on before the shopkeeper comes up here!" She cried.

"Are you okay?" He asked, completely ignoring her question.

Her face crumpled and she felt a sob rising in her throat. She hid her face in her hands and said with her voice muffled, "I overreacted. It was silly."

"He cheated on you. You were right to leave him. I only wish I could've hexed him without blowing my cover." Draco said seriously.

She laughed and it came out sounding more like a sob. "Well... thank you then. For caring. It's not like you."

He shrugged and picked up a book form the shelf. "A book on different brands of magic, we should check it out."

Immediatly her mood shifted. She went from desperate and grief filled to focused and with a goal. It wasn't until hours later did she realize that Draco knew exactly how to cheer her up and wasn't obnoxious at all about it.

**A/N hi guys thanks for reading and i hope you review and tell me what you think ! **


	7. Authors Note

**A/N okay, thanks for all those NICE reviews i got, it means so much to me. But to the person who said this fanfic was 'disgusting', then please read no more. I wouldn't want to 'waste your time'. I worked really hard on this and if you don't like, then fine. But say nothing or be constructive about your review. You should be ashamed of yourself. It was **_**very **_**brave hiding behind an anonymous review name****, I hate you****. Nice name, btw. Makes me feel loved. I have no idea if i even want to continue this story anymore. I have never been more offended. So for now, its on hold. I hope your proud of yourself, ****I hate you****.**


	8. Happy Birthday

**A/N im back! I left for a while because I was deeply insulted by a review. I was already having a rough day and that just pushed me over the edge. I might have overreacted but it doesn't matter because im gonna keep writing and i don't own anything.**

"I can't believe you're actually leaving." Draco said for the millionth time that morning.

"Well, believe it. It's my birthday and I'm going home to celebrate it with my friends." Hermione said, also for the millionth time.

Draco scowled angrily, "But I think you should really stay here and keep working. We are no closer to finding the cure."

Hermione sighed and looked up from her suitcase. She was packing a small overnight bag because she was staying at Harry and Ginny's. She was only there for the one night and would be returning to the castle the next morning. But for some reason, Draco was very reluctant to let her go and threw a fit every time she mentioned it.

"I'll be back tomorrow morning. I'm only gone a day. Relax." She told him.

He pouted and it made his nightmarish face seem almost comical. She grinned at him and she saw his lips twitch in a reluctant smile.

"Fine." He blurted out. "You can go on to your night out with Potter and Weaslette but that just means that you'll be working twice as hard tomorrow."

She might have yelled at him for being so condescending to her, but he was smiling, and when he smiled, it made his face look almost handsome.

"Goodbye!" She called as she stepped into the fireplace and said, "Harry and Ginny's place!"

As the green flames swirled around her face she thought she heard before she was sucked away, Draco saying quietly, "Goodbye, Hermione." But he probably didn't.

She landed badly in the fireplace and almost stumbled, but Harry caught her just in time.

"Happy birthday 'Mione!" He cried.

"Hi, Harry!" She said back and hugged him.

She could hear Ginny call from inside their house, "Hey, 'Mione!"

Hermione followed Harry inside his little three bedroom cottage and hung up her cloak on the rack by the door. She kicked off her shoes and followed the smell of chocolate and treacle tart to the kitchen where Ginny Potter was standing by the stove, stirring a pot.

"Hey, Gin." Hermione said to her best girl friend.

"I can't believe you're twenty-one. You are so old." Ginny said shaking her head ruefully.

Hermione laughed, "So what's the plan for today? Neither of you would tell me what we're doing."

Ginny and Harry glanced at each other then back at Hermione.

"Well, we're going to have a birthday lunch for you and then tonight we're throwing you a party!" Harry said.

"The party was my idea." Ginny grinned.

"Sounds great! What's for lunch?" Hermione asked.

"Chicken stew and chocolate cake. My mother's recipe." Ginny said, her vivid red hair tied up in a sloppy ponytail and her cheeks flushed from the heat of the oven.

"That's my favourite." Hermione said fondly.

They spent the afternoon sitting around the Potter's second-hand kitchen table laughing about their Hogwarts days and dreaming about the future. Harry and Ginny get into a heated debate about Quidditch and if she shut her eyes, she could _almost _think she was sitting beside the lake at Hogwarts. But she couldn't hear Ron's voice, and Hogwarts wasn't complete without him, no matter how their relationship ended.

Ginny clears the lunch dishes and Harry and Hermione went for a walk around their property.

"I got your letter." Harry blurted out.

"Oh? Which one?" Hermione said idly.

"The one where you say you're working for Draco Malfoy." Harry said through clenched teeth.

Hermione froze and grimaced, "Oh that one." She said in a small voice.

"Hermione, I don't want you to go back there. You know what he's like." Harry said seriously.

"He's different now." Hermione said softly, "He's _changed."_

Harry shook his head stubbornly, "I don't believe you. Malfoy will never change."

Hermione sighed and looked up at Harry. He was almost like her brother, and was protective of her like a brother to his sister. But Harry was wrong in this one instance, Draco had changed. Not his whole personality, but some little things were slightly different about him. Hermione just sighed and shook her head at her best friend then followed him inside.

The party that Ginny and Harry threw for her was fantastic. All of her old friends from Hogwarts were there. She saw Neville, the Patil twins, Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, Luna Lovegood and her boyfriend, Rolf. People from her work and a couple kids from other years were there as well. It almost seemed like the Potter's tiny cottage couldn't hold all these people. People were dancing everywhere and draped across the furniture and leaning against one another. The music was too loud and it was too dark. Sparks were flashing everywhere and Hermione couldn't find Harry anywhere. She knew this wasn't his idea. If Harry had been planning her party, most likely no more than five people would have come and it would be an outside dinner in the garden. At this moment, that sounded pretty good.

"Isn't this great?" Ginny screamed at her as she danced past, her long red hair flashing in the dark like fire.

Hermione smiled weakly at her. She attempted dancing, but it just looked like she was being electrocuted. She just decided to give up and check on the refreshments in the kitchen. She leaned against the counter and shut her eyes. The thumping of the music was like a bad headache. In her mind, she was back at the Black Castle, sitting in a half-lit library with Draco, going over formulas and plans, bickering slightly.

"Hermione?"

She opened her eyes, half hoping to see her favourite beast, but instead was disappointed with her least favourite ginger.

"Hi, Ron."

"Happy birthday." He said awkwardly.

"Thank you." She said politely but coldly back.

They stood in awkward silence for a minute, avoiding each other's eyes and trying to figure out what to say next.

"I miss you." Ron finally said.

Hermione lost her breath in shock. "W-what?" She stuttered.

"I was a prat, 'Mione. I never should've slept with Lavender. It wasn't fair to you, I know. I want to get back together." Ron said, taking one of her hands in his own.

Hermione was speechless for a second, lost in his big blue eyes. She remembered them when they were at their happiest. They were so in love and he could always make her laugh. She thought about their future together if she agreed to get back with him. They would have a cottage like his parents, with wild flowers growing in the garden and little red-headed children running around. But he would also work late, she knew. Like he did when they were dating. And she would constantly be wondering if he was with someone else. He could get so moody sometimes. He would disappear for hours with no excuse. He wouldn't kiss her anymore. He never said he loved her.

She pulled her hand away from his and whispered, "I already said no when we talked a couple weeks ago at the Three Broomsticks."

He frowned and said forcefully, "I want you to give me a second chance."

"I _gave _you a second chance! I've given you tons of chances! You always ruin it!" She cried.

"Why do you have to be so stubborn? I said I was sorry! The affair with Lav was a mistake!" He shouted.

"Oh, she's Lav is she? Quite casual for a _mistake!" _She snapped. She felt tears rising in her eyes; she hated how he made her feel so angry and ashamed of herself every time they spoke.

"Argh! God, Hermione! Just let it go! We've both grown up and are different people now. I heard you're working for Andromeda Tonks-"

"Yes, yes I know. You think that it's a bad idea because it means I'm working for Draco Malfoy." Hermione said with a tired wave of her hand.

"Wait – you're working for _Malfoy?" _Ron yelled in confusion.

"Harry didn't tell you?" She asked in surprise.

"NO HE DIDN'T TELL ME THAT YOU ARE WORKING FOR THAT BASTARD!" Ron screamed.

"Calm down! He's different now!"

"LIKE HELL HE'S DIFFERENT! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU, HERMIONE!" Ron shouted at her. Hermione could hear the music stop in the living room and everyone fall silent.

"Shut up Ron! Stop trying to control me!" She screamed back, hot tears dripping down her face.

"WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS SO STUPID?" He yelled.

She gave him an ice cold glare and said clearly, "I will _never _get back together with you." Before Disapparating.

She Apparated to the front hall of the Black Castle and collapsed to the ground in a fit of tears. She hated him. She _hated _him. She held her hand over her mouth as to not wake up Andromeda, Teddy and Draco from their sleep. It was very late and she didn't want to be seen like this.

"Granger? Is that you?" She heard Draco call before he stepped into the hall, holding his lightened wand ahead of him.

"Please go away, Malfoy." She muttered. The last thing she wanted was Malfoy making fun of her when she was feeling so awful.

"Erm, are you okay?" He asked slowly.

"Not really." She admitted.

"The party not turn out how you wanted it to?" He said sympathetically.

"Ron showed up." She muttered.

He was silent for a second before saying, "Come with me."

She was too tired to argue so she followed him into the kitchen, where she was surprised with a bright kitchen, mulled mead and chocolate cake.

"What's all this?" She asked.

"Andromeda wanted to celebrate your birthday tomorrow when you got back, but I think since they party Potter threw for you sucked, we can celebrate you birthday right now." Draco said shyly.

"Thank you." She said sincerely.

He poured them each a glass of mead and cut her a slice of cake. They ended up having a pretty nice time. The radio was playing softly and Draco was being less arrogant than usual. It was around three in the morning before Hermione decided she should probably go to bed.

"I'll see you tomorrow then." She said with a smile.

"Goodnight then." He said.

"And thank you. This really meant a lot to me." She said sincerely.

"No problem." He said quickly.

She smiled again and turned to leave, but stopped when he called, "Hey!" She turned and met his eyes. "Happy Birthday, Hermione."

Her heart stopped and she felt as if something quite significant had changed between them. She felt like she was out of breath as if she had run a race, "Thank you, Draco." Was all she could blurt out before she ran from the kitchen to her bedroom. She dropped onto the bed and was left to wonder, 'What the hell just happened?'

**A/N thanks for reading guys, review? **


	9. Ange de la Terre

**A/N um...yeah. sorry its been forevers. Ive just been totally buys lately. And i've sort of been obsessed with the HP next generationlately and I've written a couple of fics for that. But i don't own anything. **

"This is getting ridiculous!" Draco exclaimed.

"Something is bound to work eventually!" Hermione said.

"_Nothing _has worked! No spell, potion or charm has changed me in any way! This is hopeless!" Draco cried.

"Well, maybe if you told me everything you know about the curse, but you won't! So how can I help you when I don't know all the details?" Hermione said just as loudly. "All anybody ever tells me is that some strange witch cursed you! I know there must be more to it!"

He froze for a second. "Okay." He said slowly. "I'll tell you everything."

She nodded and sat back down in her chair quietly.

"It was my twentieth birthday and Blaise threw me a surprise party and I hate surprises so I left in a terrible temper. This little old witch was trying to beg some money off of me, and I kept refusing her. Finally, she cursed me to be as 'hideously ugly outside as I am on the inside'." Draco said bitterly.

Hermione thought for a second. "Did she say a strange incantation of do anything differently?"

Draco frowned, "She transformed from the hag to the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Like honestly, she was like, other-worldly beautiful. Angelic looking, even. She-"

"I get it. She was pretty." Hermione said angrily.

Draco rolled his eyes. "And she performed the curse on me without using a wand. She waved her arms around and it made me feel like I was on fire and getting torn to pieces at the same time. I swear, it was more painful than the Curicatus Curse. And then she just... disappeared. She just faded away slowly. It wasn't like she Disapparated. It was all so strange." He finished quietly.

Hermione frowned, deep in thought.

"Is that it? Is there anything else?" She asked.

Draco looked down for a second before slowly saying, "No. That's it."

Hermione didn't leave the library for the rest of the day. She didn't eat and fell asleep at the desk. This pattern continued for another week before she found something.

The book was decrepit and ancient and shoved behind the bookshelf at the far end of the library. Hermione found it completely by chance. A quill she was holding rolled away from her under the bookshelf. As she was reaching for the quill, she found the book. Its cover was bone white with a vivid black title. _Vetus Veneficus. _Hermione knew from her studies that it meant 'Old Magic' in Latin. Curiously, she opened it. Gently she flipped through each disintegrating page. The entire book was in Latin, but she knew enough Latin, thanks to her training at St. Mungo's, that she could easily understand it. One chapter caught her eye. Roughly translated it said _The Most Magical and Dangerous Ange de la Terre._

Earth Angel...

Eagerly, she read the rest of the chapter. She had never heard of an Ange de la Terre before. As she read further, she recognized several of things Draco had told her about his mysterious curser.

"Morning, Hermione." He said easily as he walked into the room yawning. They had gotten into the strange habit of calling each other by their first names.

"Draco! Come look at this!" She cried. Sensing the urgency in her voice, he hurried over to her.

"What is it?" He asked.

"I think I know who cursed you! It as an Ange de la Terre!" She exclaimed.

"A what?" he said with a smirk.

"An Ange de la Terre is the offspring of a wizard and an angel!" She said.

He had a stunned expression on his face, "What do you mean?"

"Way, way back in time, angels would come down from Heaven and... be with wizards or witches. Their children are half angels, half magical humans. They were first discovered by a French wizard name Gérard Chevalier. Ange de la Terre is French for 'earth angel'." Hermione said, still clutching the book.

"Whoa." Draco said, shocked. "Tell me more."

"Ange de la Terres don't mix in with society of any kind. They can't be in Heaven because they have too much mortal blood and they shy away from mortals. Most wizards don't even know they exist. But back then, Ange de la Terre's would appear to mortals more often and mortals would ask them for help. And sometimes, the Ange de la Terre's _would _help. They never die and they can't reproduce. They stop aging when they are grown but not old yet. They have young, beautiful faces forever. There are around fifty Ange de la Terres in existence. Or at least, no more have been seen by wizards." Hermione said, reading from the ancient tomb.

"That's so odd!" Draco said. "How come one decided to speak with me then?"

"Well apparently, they feel they are obsessed with protecting the Human race. They can also see into the future, and know the outcome of certain events. They also can be invisible at will. And their magic is much different from Humans. They don't need a wand to channel their magic. Like wizard children, it just explodes out of them. But they have total control of it. Sometimes, they reveal themselves to Humans. They don't try to change big events, but sometimes they help certain people if they can sense good in them. That's how people think everyone has a Guardian Angel. It's the Ange de la Terre. They are also obsessed with people who are alone or rejected by society. They can relate to them. They also deal a lot in matters of the heart. But when they help people, there's always a trick. There's always consequences. They help people but you have to pay the price. Before you, an Ange de la Terre hasn't been seen for four hundred years!" Hermione said.

"That's a lot to take in." Draco murmured. "But if they hide away so much, how does that book have so much on them?"

Hermione smiled sadly, "That's the sad part. Apparently, four hundred years ago, an Ange de la Terre revealed herself to a mortal man since he was shunned from society because he was always trying to prove new spells or potions that didn't work. People thought he was crazy. She fell in love with him and told him all her secrets. Desperate to prove himself a great sorcerer, he published her secrets in a book," She held up the ancient book she was holding and continued, "and she was so angry, she convinced all of the Ange de la Terre's never to speak with another human again. They left the mortals to solve their own problems and eventually, wizarding society forgot about them."

Draco was silent for a minute. "But why did she talk to _me? _They should've been with Potter and not me. He's a good person and I'm not."

"But I think that's the point. They help people who are shunned from others and have good hidden deep within. They draw that goodness out. And since Harry was always good, they never came to him." Hermione said.

"That's fascinating." Draco whispered, "Do you mind if I borrow that book?"

"Of course. It's _your _family's library after all. I have to get back to searching for a cure. I've been neglecting it in favour of finding out who your curser was all week." Hermione said and stood up.

She went back over to the desk in the corner of the library that was covered in books about curses. Now that she knew about the Ange de la Terre, it inspired her even more to find the cure. She worked day and night, hardly ever stopping. She barely ate once a day and slept for about four hours every night. It was around ten o'clock at night and she was listening to her iPod when Draco interrupted her.

"What's that?" He asked, pointing to her iPod.

"It's a device to hold music. You can keep hundreds of songs in one of these." Hermione said, explaining it to him.

"That's ingenious, it really is." Draco said and put the earbuds in his ears and played it. He looked so unusual wearing the muggle iPod that Hermione laughed out loud.

"What's so funny, Granger?" He asked, mildly offended.

"No – it's just... you look really funny wearing an iPod. Almost... cute." She said softly.

He looked too surprised to say anything back. The silence was awkward so she quickly said, "I've been brewing some Polyjuice Potion. Go get your hairbrush and take a hair from before you were changed. I think it will make you take the appearance of your old self."

Draco quickly ran upstairs and came back down with a silver comb with a few strands of pale gold hair in it. Hermione dropped a strand of hair into the bubbling, mud-like substance and it immediately turned striking silver.

"That's beautiful." She whispered. "Almost like unicorn blood."

He drank and grimaced in distaste. They both waited with bated breath, but nothing happened.

"Why isn't it working?" Hermione finally cried. "I was so sure! This isn't fair!"

She could tell Draco was disappointed. "It's alright. Maybe next time."

"No! I've been working so hard! It – it..." And before she knew it, Hermione had fainted.

She awoke hours later in her ivory and lilac covered room to see Draco's horrid face leaning over her.

"What – what happened?" She asked groggily.

"You blacked out from exhaustion. You've been working yourself too hard. You need to relax." He told her, a frown etched across his face.

She sat up against the pillows and said, "I'm fine, really."

"No you're not. Now drink this." He said and handed her a smoking blue potion. She drank it and her throbbing headache went away.

"Oh good! You're awake!" Andromeda said as she bustled into the room. "Here have some chocolate. Draco, go get her some water!"

Hermione nibbled the chocolate as Draco left the room.

"Are you sure you're okay, dear?" Andromeda said, worried.

"I'm fine." Hermione said with a slight smile.

"Draco was so worried about you." Andromeda said, smirking. "He didn't leave your bedside this whole time. And he carried you up here. You must mean a lot to him."

Hermione didn't know how to reply. She tried t ignore the butterflies in her stomach and eat her chocolate, but her mind kept coming back to a certain beast.

**A/N sorry its been forever in updating. Okay a few quick things, draco didn't tell Hermione about the love part of the curse, you'll see why later. I just didn't want anyone to think i forgot about it. And im sorry if i offended anyone about the Ange de la Terre. I didn't meant to you. This fic isn't necessarily religious, the angel part just fit in. I really didn't meant to offend anyone with my angel offspring, and if i did, i really am sorry. Please, please, please review! **


	10. Christmas

**A/N Buenos dias muchachos! Er... i mean... hi... anyways, i don't own HP. But would anyone really believe me if i said i did? **

The snow was falling gently outside and Hermione was enjoying a break for once. She was curled up in the window seat in the library, leaning her forehead against the cool glass. It was pitch black outside and she could see nothing but the little lanterns Andromeda had set up outside. The gardens and lawns and trees were all draped in the fluffy white snow and she could faintly hear the wind blowing eerily outside.

"Hi." Draco said shyly, walking through the library doors towards her. "I brought hot chocolate, you thirsty?"

"Yes, thank you!" She said and moved over on the bench so there was enough room for the both of them.

They sat in sweet silence. Surprisingly, it wasn't awkward, it was kind of nice, to have a quiet moment with Draco. Usually they were bickering or stressing out about his curse.

"The Hogwarts house-elves made the _best _hot chocolate." Draco said with a smirk.

"I still don't like the fact that they're slaves! They deserve proper health-care and wages!" Hermione cried, a distant memory of sitting in the Gryffindor common room with her two best friends discussing this for the first time.

Draco shook his head with a grin, "You're crazy, you know that right? I have never met someone as stubborn as you."

"I like helping people!" She cried indignantly. "I didn't know that was such a crime!"

"You're such a Gryffindor." He said with a smirk.

"Well, you're such a Slytherin!"

They glared at each other for a second before bursting out laughing at the old grudge between their two houses.

The bright flash and _click _of a camera stopped their laughter.

"Sorry." Andromeda said apologetically. "But I've never seen you two laughing together before. It was very sweet."

"Don't sneak up on us like that." Draco said grumpily.

"I didn't even hear you come in!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Don't worry, I'm leaving now! Go back to whatever you were talking about." Andromeda said quickly, exiting the library fast.

But the moment was lost.

"I'll see you tomorrow then." Draco said gruffly, getting up and leaving her.

"Goodnight." She whispered softly to his retreating back.

Hermione considered herself an early riser. She liked waking up before the sun and having the whole day in front of her. She thought sleeping in was a waste of time. That in mind, she still didn't appreciate being shaken roughly awake at five am by a too cheerful Andromeda.

"Good morning sleepy-head!" She exclaimed cheerfully. "Up an' adam! We have a lot of work to do today!"

She flicked on the light beside Hermione's bed, making her temporarily go blind and want to crawl under the covers.

"What are we doing today?" She asked groggily.

"Decorating for Christmas of course!"

Hermione's reply to that was a blank look.

"Tomorrow is Christmas Eve! I completely lost track of time because I was so busy with the curse!" Andromeda said, rummaging through Hermione's drawers and pulling out some clothes then throwing them at her.

"Oh. But why do have to wake up so early?" Hermione complained sleepily.

"This is only the third Christmas since my entire family died. It makes me feel better to keep busy with the Christmas spirit. And this castle is so creepy and desolate; it would be much more homey if it had some nice decorations. And besides, Teddy has always loved Christmas. I want him to not miss out on any childhood experience, you know since his parents are dead." Andromeda explained tearfully.

"Alright, alright! I'm getting up!" Hermione said, hurrying from her warm bed to the cold marble bathroom to have a quick shower before breakfast.

"Great thanks, Hermione!" Andromeda called, just as happily as before. Hermione sighed. That was an intense guilt trip.

Hermione ended up having a long shower, desperate to stay under the hot water for even a second more. She pulled on her old jeans and a sweater and made her way down to the kitchen. It was bright and warm, trays of hot breakfast on the table. Teddy was sleeping in his highchair and Andromeda was busy at the stove. Outside, the window, the sun was no closer to rising.

"Oh good you're here!" Andromeda said, handing her a plate of pancakes and bacon. "I have to go get my lazy nephew up. I've already woke him up four times this morning, but he keeps falling back asleep!" And she stormed upstairs to wake Draco for the fifth time.

Hermione dropped onto a chair and picked at her breakfast. She was never really hungry when she first gets up.

"Herma." Teddy said sleepily.

"Hey, Teddy. You tired?" Hermione asked gently.

The toddler nodded and said, "Where Dray?"

"He's being really lazy. Your grandma is going to get him now." Hermione said.

"Gamma wake me up to early. I so tired." He murmured.

"Drink some juice, honey." Hermione said pushing his sipper cup full of orange juice towards him.

Draco stormed into the kitchen, a furious expression on his face. Andromeda followed, looking smug.

"You know, if you had woken up when I told you to, this wouldn't have happened." She said with a smile.

"That was no reason to dump a bucket of cold water on me!" He screamed.

Hermione laughed out loud and not even his furious expression could stop it.

"This isn't funny, Granger!" He roared.

"I-it is!" She said, clutching her sides, tears running down her cheeks.

Andromeda was still grinning and even Teddy had a big smile on his face and was giggling.

"It is December! It is too bloody cold to dump buckets of freezing water onto people!" He shouted.

"You're over-reacting!" Andromeda said, smiling.

"I'm surrounded by bloody morons!" He shouted which only made the three of them laugh harder.

Thankfully, by later that morning, he was feeling less grumpy.

"You're doing it wrong." He said bluntly to Hermione.

"No, I'm not!" She cried, outraged.

"You're putting too many of the red ornaments on the tree! It looks bad!" He said disdainfully.

"I think it looks great!" She said stubbornly.

"You would." He smirked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She cried.

"_Red _is a hideous, too bright, _Gryffindor _colour." He said.

"_Red _is a Christmas colour, you prat!" She shouted.

"Hey, guys, how's it going?" Andromeda said, hurrying into the Living room, obviously sensing a fight brewing.

"Draco's being ridiculous."

"Hermione's got no sense of decorative taste."

"Draco's colour blind."

"Hermione's stubborn."

"Alright then! I developed the picture of you two from the other day!" Andromeda said.

She handed Hermione the picture and Draco leaned over her shoulder to look at it. In the picture, they were sitting close to together, so close that their shoulders were touching. They were both holding steaming mugs of hot chocolate and Hermione was throwing her head back and laughing while Draco smiled at her with incredible warmth in his grey eyes.

"It's a nice picture." Draco said gruffly.

"I'm thinking of leaving it up on the mantle, to make the castle look more like our home." Andromeda said, placing the picture gently over the fireplace.

Hermione had just finished with the decorations in the main hall when Andromeda came running up to her, all excited and out of breath with shimmering eyes.

"I want to have a Christmas party." She exclaimed.

"Oh, really?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, I want this to be the best Christmas ever! We could get all dressed up and have a fancy dinner in the Great Hall and dance!" Andromeda explained giddily.

"That sounds great but I don't have anything to wear!" Hermione cried.

Andromeda winked, "Don't worry." She said, "I have something for you."

The morning of Christmas Eve, Hermione woke to the smell of food cooking. She followed the trail of good smelling food to the kitchen where she found Andromeda cooking up a storm. Pots were stirring themselves and carrots were dicing themselves. Andromeda had her long brown hair tied up in a sloppy bun on her head and her cheeks were flushed from the heat of the oven.

"Morning, Hermione. Do me a favour and keep Draco out of the kitchen until dinner time? I just know he will try and sneak some food." Andromeda said.

Hermione grinned and went off to her usual duties. A few hours later, she heard a crash from the kitchen, a scream and Andromeda's angry voice. Hermione was a bit concerned until Draco ran into the library closely followed by Andromeda.

"When I say stay out of the kitchen I mean it!" She shouted.

"But it all smelt so good!" He wailed.

"Don't you dare even think about going back into that kitchen young man! I have to help Hermione get ready for tonight, and I'll know if you've been to the kitchen!" She warned.

Draco murmured something under his breath.

"Oh, you don't think I would find out? The just go to the kitchen and see! There's a funny little hex on the doors, I wonder if you like having no fingers..." She smirked.

Draco looked horrified and Hermione laughed.

Andromeda dragged Hermione up to her room and disappeared immediately into the huge closet. The room was deep blue and silver and had a huge picture window facing the path that lead from the castle to the road and the forest beyond.

"So what do you think?" Andromeda said, walking out of the closet carrying a deep purple strapless ball gown.

"Oh my God..." Hermione said breathlessly.

"I haven't worn this since I was about your age. Try it on, I want you to wear it tonight." She said, handing Hermione the dress.

Hermione went into the bathroom and pulled off her jeans and plain button down t-shirt and slipped into the dress. It fit perfectly, like it was made for her. It was strapless and hugged her curves and was fitted down to her waist and then flowed all the way to the ground.

"Hermione?" Andromeda said, knocking on the bathroom door. "Are you dressed yet?"

"Yes, I'll be right out." Hermione whispered. She was still shocked that she actually looked beautiful. She hardly ever felt pretty, but this dress made her feel different.

She opened the door and Andromeda gasped.

"Oh, 'Mione!" She sighed, "You look so gorgeous."

Hermione blushed and smoothed out the purple dress.

"Now sit at the vanity, I want to fix your hair and makeup." Andromeda commanded.

Two hours and many broken combs later, Hermione couldn't believe her reflection. Her eyes were suddenly huge and surprisingly, had flecks of amber in them. Her skin was flawless and her lips were painted red and looked plump. Her hair had been tamed into a bun at the back of her head with a whole bottle of Sleakeazy Hair Solution and about fifty bobby-pins.

"And for the finishing touch..." Andromeda clasped a lovely choker onto Hermione's slender neck. It was black lace with an amethyst stone on it.

"Thank you Andromeda." Hermione said, hugging the older lady.

"Oh, you're welcome my dear!" Andromeda said laughing. "Now, if you excuse me, I have to finish setting up for our little party and make sure Draco wears the dress robes I bought him. Come down to the Great Hall at seven!"

She left the room and Hermione went back to her own. She sat at the edge of her chair in her room, trying not to wrinkle the dress. She flipped through a medical textbook but her eyes caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror.

She didn't recognize herself. It was nice in a way, but also very strange in another. And then it was seven and she headed towards the Great Hall. It was silent in the castle, which wasn't unusual, but was unusual was the air of anticipation in the air. She finally got to the doors to the Great Hall, took a breath and pushed them open. The first thing she saw was Draco. She had never seen him look so handsome. He was wearing a jet black set of dress robes and his usual grisly face was covered with a look of awe and wonder, which made him appear much better looking.

"Hi, Draco." Hermione said breathlessly, as she glided towards him.

"Hi, Hermione." He whispered huskily.

She just stood there for a second, staring at him. She forgot how to breathe, she was so lost in his eyes. She knew it was cheesy, but it was true.

Andromeda cleared her throat and said, "Shall we have dinner, then?"

They sat at the fancy dining room table. Hermione was across from Draco, so every time she looked up, she was looking at him. Their eyes met often, and each time they turned away blushing. Andromeda had a smirk on her face the whole evening and Teddy was giggling with Christmas spirit.

Music was playing softly in the background, harps and violins going by themselves, and Andromeda suggested that they dance.

"Hermione." Draco said softly, "Would you like to dance?" He said with a blush on his face.

Hermione gasped and smiled, "Yes, of course!"

She saw his eyes light up and a grin spread across his face. Her breath caught in her chest. He was so handsome...

He held her hand and led her onto the dance floor. Tentatively, he placed a hand on her waist. She put her hand on his shoulder and grabbed his other hand. He twirled her around the dance floor, shyer at first but gaining courage the longer they were together. Teddy and Andromeda were watching from the side of the room, both with smiles on their faces.

After a little while, Draco suggested taking a break. They went out to the balcony just off of the Great Hall. The night was clear and crisp and the stars were almost glowing, they were shining so bright.

"It's so beautiful out here." Hermione whispered.

"Not as beautiful as you." Draco whispered back. He blushed and coughed awkwardly.

She smiled and glowed. This night was so perfect, and Draco was being so kind...

"I want to give you your Christmas present now!" He blurted out.

"Okay." She said. "Then I'll give you yours now too."

She 'Accio'ed' Draco's present to her and it flew out of her window down to the balcony where they were standing. It was wrapped in a little red and green box.

"Here," She said, "Merry Christmas."

He opened it and grinned, "An i-Pod?" He asked with a smirk.

"Well you did seem to enjoy mine."

He called her present to him and Hermione gasped to see it flying through the air. For, it was too big to be wrapped.

"Oh, Draco!" She cried. "This is amazing! But it's illegal!"

He smirked as the flying carpet landed at their feet. It was deep blue with red, purple and and silver swirls on it.

"Get on." He said.

"I don't know..." She said slowly, "I'm not good with heights."

"A flying carpet is much steadier then a broom. And I'll be with you so there's nothing to worry about." He said.

She blushed again and nodded. He helped her onto the carpet and she smoothed her skirt out around her.

"Here take my cloak." Draco said, draping it around her shoulders. "It's December and you're shoulders are bare."

"Thank you." She whispered.

"Now, you better hold onto me tight. I don't want you to fall off." He said seriously. When the carpet started to rise, she gasped and clutched him tightly. She couldn't be sure, but she thought she saw him smirk.

She eventually got used to the carpet and had a brilliant time with Draco. He held her as they flew across the country, under the moon and the stars.

**A/N phew. Sorry that took me forever to right, sorry. But its longer then usual to make up for the lateness! Please please review! **


	11. Happy New Year!

**A/N im so sorry. Im the worst person at updating. But thank you, all of those you have stuck with me this far! **

"Have you looked in the blue book yet?"

"Oh, the _Olde Magik in Englande_? Yeah. Do you know where that potion book went?"

"It's over here. Why? Is there anything good in it?"

"No particularly, but I just thought I'd check again."

Andromeda sighed and rolled her eyes again. Draco and Hermione had been tossing ideas back and forth all morning. Right now, they were re-reading old books and taking bites of pancake every few minutes.

"Guys, why don't you take a break? At least finish your breakfast before you start work again." Andromeda suggested.

"Do you know there are only 6 more months before I am stuck like this forever? Half the time is already gone, and we have nothing!" Draco snapped.

"Draco, darling... We are going to fix you." Andromeda said softly.

"Yeah, don't worry! I have never failed at anything before! And I don't plan on starting now!" Hermione cried.

"Of course you have failed at something." Draco said.

"No I haven't."

"Yes you have?"

"What?"

"You have failed at looking like a human. With hair like that, you look more like a troll." Draco said with a smirk.

"Draco!" She screamed.

Andromeda shut her eyes. The battle had begun. While Draco and Hermione argued over textbooks and plates of breakfast, Andromeda started to clean up.

"So what are we doing tonight?" She asked them.

She was answered by blank stares.

"Tonight is New Year's Eve. I was hoping we were going to have a party." Andromeda said slowly.

"Oh! I was just going to work straight through the night. We still have so much to do, and half our time is gone!" Hermione said worriedly.

"But I'm sure the curse would be over soon if you two had some fun and maybe got to know each other better." Andromeda said, giving her nephew a meaningful look.

Draco scowled and Hermione, of course, didn't catch on.

She frowned and said, "I don't think so. I think if I research more, I can find a cure. So I won't be going to your New Year's Eve party, Andromeda."

Hermione spent the rest of the day in the library. The deadline for the curse felt a whole lot closer on this side of Christmas. She sighed and angrily flipped through a book she had found in the basement to the castle. Nothing was working!

"Hey, Granger." A voice murmured.

She looked up to the door to see Draco hobble into the room. His left leg dragged a bit, causing him to limp.

"Hey, Malfoy." She said softly. She knew they were only teasing by calling each other by their last names.

"Find anything?" He asked her.

She sighed again. "No. Not yet. Have you found anymore books in the basement?"

"None." He muttered.

Hermione scowled in annoyance. She was freaking out. She felt so panicked and frustrated. They only had _six months _left to find a cure and they were no closer now than they were when they started.

She dropped her face into her hands and pulled her legs up to her chest. She leaned her forehead against her knees and willed herself not to cry.

"Hey, it's okay." Draco said, sitting beside her on the window seat. "You're doing the best you can."

"But it's not good enough." Hermione whispered. "This is my fault. If I was a better Research Assistant, you would be back to normal by now! Brenna should be here, not me." She said bitterly.

"Okay, I have no idea who Brenna is, but I'm glad she's not here. I don't want anyone helping me with this but you." Draco said soothingly.

Hermione's heart skipped a beat, "Really?" She asked.

"Really." He whispered softly.

Hermione's breath hitched and she slid away from him, but not before saying, "I will fix you, Draco Malfoy. I promise."

They spent the rest of the day and evening in the library. Andromeda bustled in every so often, demanding that they go count down the New Year with her and Teddy in the Great Hall.

Finally, Draco had had enough. He slammed a knarled fist onto the desk and shouted, "For the last time, no! We will not join you downstairs for a meaningless party!"

"Well then I'm sorry! I just thought you'd like a break for once!" She shouted back. She then stormed from the room.

"Draco, don't yell at your aunt like that!" Hermione cried indignantly. "She's only trying to help you!"

"Oh, I know what she's trying to do all right." He growled but said no more.

Hermione sighed, "Draco-"

"God Granger! Can't you keep your nose out of other people's business for even a second?" He exploded.

Hermione felt as if she had been slapped. "Fine then." She hissed. "If you don't need my help, I'll leave you be."

She ran up to her fancy bedroom and collapsed onto her silk bedspread, not caring about the beautiful and expensive things, only that someone she had grown to... care about didn't want her around. She squeezed her eyes shut tight and refused to think about why this bothered her so much.

"My father did care about my mother, you know." A voice said from her doorway. Draco.

"He loved her, and me too, but wasn't good at showing his emotions. Other then anger and disappointment, I suppose." Draco murmured.

Hermione slowly sat up and wiped her eyes. She turned to face him but he wouldn't look at her.

"He would scream and yell, but he would never physically harm my mother. He ignored her for days on end and left without telling her where he was going. He flirted in front of her with much younger witches and criticised her every move. But I knew he loved her." Draco whispered.

"How?" She whispered.

He smiled sadly, "Because when he looked at her, it was as if she was the sun and he had lived his whole life in darkness before seeing her. He looked at her as if she was some exquisite treasure. He smiled at her when she wasn't looking and often went out of his way to touch her. He was a cold man, but not heartless. And I'm just like him. I don't know how to express my emotions. I hurt the things I care the most about."

She stood up and went over to him. She took one of his icy-cold hands on her own and leaned her head against his chest. She half-expected him to push her away, but he held onto her.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you." He murmured.

"I'm sorry I'm a nosy Gryffindor." She whispered back. She could almost hear him smile.

She leaned back and looked into his silver eyes. Suddenly she ached for something she couldn't quite name. She wanted – _needed _– something and she didn't know what. All she knew was that she felt more at home in this castle and with him than any other place she had ever been in. She knew that being with him brought forward a whole slew of emotions she couldn't even classify. Her breath became ragged and she found herself leaning towards him, her eyes shutting slowly. She was close enough to taste his breath.

"Hermione..." He murmured huskily.

Suddenly, her door slammed open and Andromeda followed by Teddy burst through waving noisemakers and wearing sparklers in their hair.

"Happy New Year!" Andromeda cried joyfully.

Hermione and Draco jumped away from each other as if they were burned. A moment too late, Andromeda seemed to realize what she had intruded upon. Her eyes widened and a light blush dusted her cheeks.

"C'mon, Teddy." She said hurriedly, avoiding looking at Draco and Hermione, "Let's go."

"Happy New Year, Dray and Herma!" Teddy shouted before Andromeda carried him away, shutting the door behind them.

Hermione could feel her cheeks burning. She couldn't even look at Draco.

"Well, I guess I'm going to go to bed." He said gruffly.

"Goodnight, Draco." She said softly.

He gave her a twisted half-smile and left her room. She sat breathlessly at the edge of her bed. What just happened? She wondered to herself. Whatever it was, she couldn't stop smiling for the rest of the night.

**A/N im sorry its really short but i have a terrible case of writers block. Anybody have an remedies? Im so excited for Deathly Hallows! The premiere is this Friday where i am. So since its almost the movie, extra reviews would be super cool! **


	12. Ginny

**A/N hey guys sorry i suck at updating. This story was just added to a community of "Fantastic Dramione Stories" which i am very pleased about. Has anyone seen deathly hallows? What did you think? i thought it was excellent!**

"I can't get this bloody thing to work!" Draco shouted and flung his iPod across the room.

"Draco!" Hermione shrieked. She magically repaired the iPod. "Control your temper!"

"Why the hell is this so difficult?" Draco cursed. "Damn muggles."

"Okay, I'll show you again." Hermione said patiently. They were sitting in front of her laptop with iTunes running. She was trying to show Draco for the fourteenth time how to work his iPod.

"No, this is stupid. I'm leaving." He said stubbornly and tried to get up.

"Not a chance!" She cried and yanked him back down into the chair. "This isn't difficult, you're just being stubborn!"

"You see, you just click on the songs you want to buy, plug your iPod in, and it loads! Now you try." She said.

Somehow, Draco managed to fry the iPod and bust the laptop.

"How the hell did you do that? You touched it for like a second!" She cried incredulously. She fixed it but Draco was sulking in the corner.

"This is ridiculous. I'm not a muggle, so how would I know how to work a stupid iPod or conpodor!" He said sulkily.

Hermione bit her cheek to stop herself from laughing at 'conpodor'.

"I know you're a spoiled Pure-Blooded aristocrat-"

"I am _not!"_

"-But this is very easy!" She said calmly. He pouted and Hermione almost laughed again. "Okay, why don't you pick out the songs you want and I'll do it for you?"

Once he had a couple songs on his iPod, she showed him how to use it.

"There see? Now you just spin the wheel clock-wise to scroll down the list of songs and click the button in the middle to listen to the song you want."

"What's clock-wise?"

"Like this, Draco."

"Oh, okay. Wait, how do I make it louder?"

"Again, you spin the wheel clock-wise or counter-clock-wise, which is the opposite, to control the volume."

"Ohhh! Now I think I got it!"

"Good! The bottom of the wheel with the triangle and the two lines is the play/pause button. It will stop or start the iPod. Then the two buttons on the side will skip through the songs and the Menu button is pretty self-explanatory."

"Thanks Hermione!"

"Wow, did Draco Malfoy just thank me? I'm speechless!" She laughed.

He smirked, "Don't get used to it."

"What are you listening to?" She asked. He showed her and she grinned. Draco was actually a Beatles fanatic. All the songs he bought were Beatles song. She took one of the earbuds and put it in her own ear. They were connected by a thin wire and had to be close together so it wouldn't fall out. The close proximity to Draco made Hermione's heart race.

"Oh, I love this song!" She said with a smile.

The soft rifts from a guitar filled Hermione's ears.

_Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,  
and I say it's all right_

Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter  
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here  
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun  
and I say it's all right

"Hermione you have a visitor." Andromeda said, walking into the library with a smirk.

"Oh, who?" Hermione asked. But her question was answered when a dripping wet Ginny followed Andromeda into the room.

"Ginny!" Hermione cried and rushed over to her friend.

Ginny was shivering and wet from the pouring rain. Her eyes were red-rimmed and she had no bags with her.

"Is that Malfoy?" Ginny asked, staring at Draco like he couldn't hear her.

"Yes." Hermione answered turning back to face him.

Ginny said nothing more, but Hermione could tell by the shocked and disgusted expression on her face, she was still taking in Draco's new appearance. Hermione realized that she had forgotten about Draco's curse. She obviously still searched for a cure, but she no longer noticed his outward appearance.

"So, Ginny," Hermione said to her friend, "What brings you here?"

Ginny stared at her with her sad puppy eyes and promptly burst into tears. Hermione wrapped her arms around her and led her out of the room.

"Ugh, take her away." Draco said coldly, "She's irritating me with that horrendous noise."

Hermione glared at him before she left the room and said sarcastically, "Wow, that's nice."

He just shrugged and rolled his eyes.

Ginny was still sobbing when she sat down on Hermione's bed. Hermione sat on the desk chair opposite the bed.

"Ginny, what's wrong?" Hermione asked, concerned.

She took a few gulping breaths before answering, "I-I-I'm pre-pregnant!" She wailed and burst into tears again.

"Oh my God, Ginny!" Hermione cried, "Congratulations! I'm so happy for you!"

Ginny shook her head and her long, wet, red hair slapped her cheeks. "No! Don't you see? We're not ready for a baby yet! We've only been married for a year! Harry has finally completed his Auror training and I just stopped being a reserve for the team and am actually playing! I know it's selfish but I don't want to go on maternity leave because my spot won't be there when I get back! We're still living in that little cottage and neither of us has amazing jobs yet and Harry's inheritance won't last forever! What am I going to do, 'Mione?"

Hermione moved and sat next to her sobbing friend. She put her arm around Ginny's skinny shoulders and leaned her head against Ginny's. "I don't know." She admitted. "Have you told Harry yet?"

Ginny turned her face away and was silent.

"Well..." Ginny finally said softly.

"Ginny!" Hermione cried. "How could you keep something like that from your husband?"

"I know, I know!" Ginny sighed. "I just didn't want him to be mad at me! So as soon as I took the test, I told him I was visiting you and left."

"You have to tell him!" Hermione said.

"I know! I just don't want to yet." Ginny said, fiddling with the hem of her t-shirt.

"Harry won't be mad at you." Hermione said. "Harry loves you and will love the baby. I know he's wanted kids ever since you two got married but he didn't want to rush you into anything."

"Really?" Ginny asked, brightening up.

"Yes. And even though you don't have great jobs yet, that doesn't matter because you love each other and will love this baby." Hermione said softly.

Ginny sniffled and wiped her eyes. "Thanks, Hermione." She said with a watery smile.

"Why don't you take a bubble bath and I'll lend you a pair of my pyjamas. You're soaking wet and might catch a cold." Hermione said.

Ginny nodded and hugged Hermione one last time. Hermione gave her a pair of track pants and a white t-shirt and ran the bath for Ginny.

"Thank you for being so kind to me, 'Mione. I really do think of you like a sister." Ginny said warmly.

Hermione smiled at her and left the room. She wandered the halls back to the library. She really did think of Ginny like a sister as well. Years of sharing a room at the Weasley's during the summer was probably the main cause. They would stay up late whispering about their crushes and dreams. Ginny was Hermione's closest friend. They pretty much told each other everything. Harry knew everything about Hermione as well, but some things you could only share with another girl.

Hermione opened the door to the library to find Draco leaning over a book at the desk, the hood of his cloak up and his iPod discarded.

"Hello." She said.

"I thought you were with the Weaslette." He said coldly.

"She's taking a bath." Hermione said and slid onto the bench next to him. He scooted away from her and she frowned.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked.

"Nothing." He snapped. "But shouldn't you be waiting for _her _to finish her bath?"

Hermione tilted her head in confusion. Why was Draco acting so weird?

"Um, I'm sure she'll be a while. Have you figured out how to work your iPod yet?" Hermione asked.

"No, I no longer care for that stupid muggle toy." He said stiffly, "Why don't you go find your _friend _and leave me alone!"

"Draco, what's going on?"

"Oh nothing, besides the fact that you ditched me as soon as she got here! We were fine just the two of us and then she came and took you away!" He shouted.

Hermione almost laughed, but quickly stopped herself in time. "Oh Draco, are you jealous?"

He started to sputter incoherently, "What me – jealous? Psh, no!"

"Uh-huh." Hermione smirked.

"Fine." He admitted. "I was a little jealous. I was actually having fun with you but then you left me as soon as Weaslette got here!"

"First of all, call her Ginny. Secondly, it was really important. And I was actually having fun with you too." Hermione said shyly.

He smirked at her and started to tilt his face towards hers. Hermione's heart quickened and she leaned towards him as well.

"_Ahem._"

Hermione whipped her head around to see Ginny standing at the doorway to the library, a big grin on her face and wrapped in Hermione's fluffy blue bathrobe.

"Hey guys!" Ginny said. "What's going on here?"

"Nothing! Absolutely nothing! We were just waiting for you to finish your bath! Oh wow, look at the time! It really is getting late! I think I'm going to go to bed now! How 'bout you, Gin? Well goodnight Draco!" Hermione rambled and ran out of the library.

Ginny followed her, giggling like a child the whole time.

"So now he's _Draco_, huh?" Ginny said with an evil grin.

"Ginny, we are just getting along better now and it makes sense for us to call each other by our first names." Hermione replied.

"Does it also make sense for you two to practically sit on top of each other's laps?"

Hermione gasped and blushed. "No! We were just... just... we're just friends, alright?"

"Friends with benefits."

"Ginevra Molly Potter!" Hermione sputtered. "There is nothing like going on between Draco and I!"

Ginny gave Hermione a smirk worthy of Draco and just shrugged. They crawled into Hermione's massive queen-sized bed and flicked off the light.

"Well whatever you say Hermione, I still think you fancy him." Ginny said quietly.

Hermione pretended to be asleep so she wouldn't have to think to hard about what Ginny said.

**A/N so pretty please review! *puppy dog eyes* oh you know you cant resist that! **


	13. The Storm

**A/N thank you for all the lovely reviews! This story is coming to a lose unfortunately though. Including this chapter, there is three chapters left. And en epilogue. But thank you all for all the support and for those who have stuck with this from the beginning!**

Hermione sighed and glanced out the window. The sky was clear blue and the air was warm for mid April. Hermione tried to focus in her notes, but her eyes kept straying to the window and the warm spring sun outside. She shook her head firmly.

"_Focus_." She told herself.

She clenched the book tighter in her grasp and turned away from the window. But it was open and she could hear Andromeda and Teddy laughing and playing outside. She ran over and closed the window. And just for good measure, shut the curtains. She flipped on the desk light and re-read her notes in the semi-darkness. But she still couldn't concentrate. She groaned in frustration. She felt like a first year at exam time. Wanting to study, but not being able to focus. She never had this problem at Hogwarts.

"Are you okay, Hermione?" Draco asked as he walked into the library.

"Nooo." She moaned, burying her face in her hands.

"What's wrong?" He asked as he sat next to her.

"I have spring fever and can't concentrate!" She cried.

He laughed, "Then maybe you need a break."

She mock gasped, "What? Is Draco Malfoy suggesting I stop working and actually relax?"

He smirked, "Shocking, I know. Why don't you take a walk with me?"

"Okay!" She shouted as she pretty much leaped away from the desk.

He led her outside, past his aunt and cousin. Andromeda smirked at them as they passed by, "You two have fun!" She called. Hermione waved at her but Draco scowled.

He led her down a little path through the gardens of the Black Castle. The farther along the got, the wilder the plants got. Soon it was if there was nothing else in the world but Draco, Hermione and the beautiful foliage.

"It's incredible back here." Hermione whispered as she pushed aside a low hanging branch. The scent of the flowers was heavy in the air and everything was such a vibrant colour, Hermione felt as if she was in a dream.

"I just thought you deserved to see more of the castle then just the library." Draco smirked.

Hermione laughed, "I never would've guessed that I would one day be taking a walk through a lush garden with Draco Malfoy of all people! You're different then you were at Hogwarts."

Suddenly Draco seemed to be nervous. He kept his eyes to the ground and licked his lips nervously. "Hermione," He said softly, "There is something I haven't told you."

The serious tone in his voice scared Hermione a little. He was staring at her intently and her mouth had suddenly gone dry.

"Hermione..." Draco said and then groaned in frustration. "Okay, I don't quite know how to say this, but please promise me you won't think any differently of me!"

"Draco, what's going on?" Hermione nearly cried.

They were standing in a clearing with the blue sky above them and exotic flowers all around them. The breeze was still warm but Hermione felt frozen.

"I-I haven't been completely honest with you..." He whispered.

She took a step away from him. She stared at him with a guarded expression and crossed her arms. "What do you mean?" She said suspiciously.

He opened his mouth then shut it. His eyes were wild and desperate and he wouldn't stop wringing his hands. His brows were furrowed with desperation and he took a gulp of air then swallowed. He didn't say anything for a few minutes. Clouds were rolling across the sky, turning it from blue to grey. The wind was stronger and colder now.

"Draco?" She said, pushing a strand of hair away from her face, the wind was really picking up, "What were you going to say?"

"I..." He trailed off as his silver eyes met her cinnamon ones. The panic in his eyes faded away to be replaced by gentle fondness and maybe a little guilt.

"Draco?" Hermione said again.

"Nothing." He said softly. "Just that you look really pretty."

She knew that that wasn't what he was originally going to say but didn't want to push him.

She just smiled and took his hand, "Thank you."

He smiled back at her and picked up her other hand and placed it on his shoulder. He then out his other hand on her waist.

Hermione laughed, "What are you doing?"

He didn't answer, just started to hum under his breath. He led her around the garden as a few droplets of rain fell on them. The wind was really picking up and it was nearly as dark as night now. But he still danced her around, never breaking eye-contact and smiling as if everything he had ever wanted was in his arms.

All of a sudden Hermione felt this great rush of emotion flow through her. She gasped with realization. She cared of Draco – cared more for him than anyone else. She wasn't sure what to call this new emotion, but she knew that she would do anything to spend forever in his arms and wanted to be near him always.

The rain was falling down harder now and within seconds, Hermione and Draco were drenched. She threw her head back and laughed. Laughed at the joy she was feeling. She had never acted so recklessly, never slow danced in the pouring rain, never felt so strongly for someone before now.

When her eyes met Draco's again, he was staring at her with great happiness. She couldn't help but grin at him, and he smiled right back. Suddenly, she was moving her face closer to his, she was leaning up towards him and he was bending down towards her. As he moved closer, he whispered to her, "Hermione, I know it's crazy, but I think I l-"

But he was cut off by a sudden gust of wind which brought a great wave of water over them. Hermione shrieked and Draco took off his cloak and held it over her, protecting her from the rain.

"Come on!" He shouted over the storm. "Let's go back!"

She nodded and followed as he ran back to the Black Castle. She was filled with bitter disappointment and an aching longing. What was he going to say?

He held the door open for her and she ran in behind him. They were soaking wet right through their clothes. Hermione's long thick hair stuck to her head and her clothes clung to her body. Draco had a drip of water run down the side of his face and he was panting from the exertion of running. He opened his mouth as if to say something when he was interrupted by his aunt.

"Oh you two must have got caught in the storm!" She cried and rushed over to them. "You're soaked right to the bone!"

Hermione nodded mutely and Draco didn't say anything at all. Hermione handed Draco back his cloak and stepped away from the door.

"What you two need is a hot bath and some tea." Andromeda commanded. She ushered Hermione out of the hallway and upstairs to her room. Andromeda turned the faucet on and Hermione stood shivering in the doorway.

"There now." Andromeda said quietly. "You just rest and I'll be up with your tea shortly."

She shut the door behind her and Hermione stripped out of her clinging, wet clothes and slipped into the bath. The hot water attacked her freezing skin, but soon got used to the temperature. She leaned against the back of the tub and stared out the window at the dark evening sky. She sighed and shut her eyes, imagining herself back in the clearing in the garden. Draco was holding her and was about to tell her something important. And then he pulled her into that crazy dance. And what else? He was going to say something else. Was it just hopeful dreaming that she wished he was going to say he loved her?

The bath water was starting to turn cold so she drained it and got out. She pulled on track pants and a plain t-shirt. She wrapped herself up in her fuzzy blue bathrobe and ran a bush through her messy hair. She stepped into her slippers and left the bathroom to enter her bedroom. Andromeda had left her a cup of tea, charmed so it would never grow cold. Hermione took a sip and felt the heat slither through her body. She collapsed into the armchair by the window and drank as her tea as she watched the storm.

**A/N this one is a little short but i hope you like it anyways! Please review! Ps, i have a new story called 'The Secret Life of Astoria Greengrass' and is about Astoria Greengrass (obviously) and her life and how she grew up. **


	14. The Truth

**A/N yeah... sorry i take forever updating. My life has been totally crazy. But anyways, on with the story! And i don't own anything. And to Erica – I really hope your husband is safe! I hope this makes you feel better, actually it won't. But the next chapter will! **

It was May 31st. Time was running out. They only had six days left before Draco was stuck this way forever. Both of their tempers were running high and they took to snapping at each other for the littlest things. Hermione was beginning to hate that library, she spent far too much of her time there.

"This is impossible!" She cried.

Draco shoved a pile of books off the desks and muttered under his breath, "It would've been easier to find my true love."

"What?" Hermione asked in confusion.

Draco froze, he shuffled his feet on the thick burgundy carpet and fiddled with his fingers, "Nothing. It's a figure of speech."

"Draco..." Hermione said slowly. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

"No!" He said too quickly.

"Draco!" Hermione said in alarm. She started to get a sick feeling in her stomach. Something was very, very wrong here.

"Fine!" He burst out. "The Ange de la Terre told me if I wanted to break the curse, I had to find someone who loved me and I loved back!"

"When did she tell you this?" She asked in horror.

"When she put the curse on me." Draco muttered.

"So you've known how to break the curse for almost a year now and let me waste my time in this dusty old library? Why? Is this some sort of joke?"

"Do I look like I'm laughing." He said coldly.

She got up suddenly. She faced the window and was quiet for a second before spinning around and shouting, "What is wrong with you? You had the ability to help yourself, but didn't? You wasted my time as well as your own! You're sick!"

A look of harsh fury crossed his face, "You don't know anything! So just shut up!"

"Then explain it to me!" She shrieked, "Tell me why you are so against love!"

"Because love is pointless!" He shouted back. "It's stupid and embarrassing and makes you vulnerable! People who love are weak!"

For some reason that hurt Hermione. "So you don't love anybody?" She asked softly.

"No." He growled. "I told you, I will not be made vulnerable!"

Of course. Of course the pure-blood prince, Draco Malfoy could never love her, a poor mudblood, even if he was a monster. She clutched at her heart, for it suddenly began to hurt.

"And do you honestly think anyone could ever love _you_?" She hissed scornfully.

He looked taken aback for a second before saying, "Why, Granger? Because of my repelling personality or my hideous looks?"

"Both, actually." She said scathingly. "Who could ever want you?"

"Wow that's rich, coming from you Mudblood." He said coldly, "You've only ever been with Krum and Weasley, and even he could see that he could do better."

She suddenly felt as if she would throw up. How could he say that to her?

"Go to hell, Malfoy." She said through clenched teeth. "And stay there."

"Awww, won't you miss me?" He said mock-sweetly. "I mean, it's pretty obvious how you feel about me."

She felt tears sting her eyes but refused to let them fall.

"I could never feel anything for you but hatred." She said, her voice thick with rage and loathing. "You slimy, arrogant, cruel, heartless, worthless son-of-bitch!"

"Wow that really hurts." He said sarcastically. "You're pathetic."

She put a hand over her mouth to stop the gasp that was sure to escape. This was so awful. He had never spoken to her like this before, not even when they were at Hogwarts.

"Stop acting like you're better than me, Malfoy." She said bitterly. "At least I have friends and a family who doesn't shun me."

"I heard Weasley is getting married to the Lavender girl." He said with a malicious grin on his face. "It was in the Daily Prophet this morning."

Wow, low blow. Hermione shut her eyes and took a deep breath. She opened her eyes and stared at him.

"You're alone too, don't forget." She said bitingly. "Where's Pansy?"

He raised his hand and she flinched, think he would hit her. But, oddly enough, he restrained himself.

"Go die, bitch." He hissed through clenched teeth.

"I hate you." She snapped back, just as coldly. She turned and ran from the room. She magically packed her bags and ran down to the front hall.

"Wait, where are you going?" Andromeda said, coming out of the kitchen. She stopped when she saw the tear tracks on Hermione's face. "Honey, what happened?"

Before Hermione could answer, the doorbell rang loudly and deeply. Andromeda rushed to answer it.

"Narcissa?" She said in confusion. Draco's mother stepped out of the rain and into the hall, bringing a girl with her.

"Hello, Andromeda." She said coldly. "This is Astoria Greengrass."

The girl had long dark brown hair and nearly black eyes. Her skin was tan and she was petite and slender. She had a sour expression on her face and her arms were crossed tightly against her chest.

Draco came thundering down the stairs just then but stopped when he saw the group of women standing at his front door.

"Draco!" Narcissa said brightly.

"Hello, mother." Draco said, his tone guarded.

"Draco, this is Astoria Greengrass." Narcissa said, gesturing to the young woman on her right. "She's going to marry you."

"What?" Hermione croaked out.

"Andy, darling, I got your letters and this is the solution!" Narcissa said to her sister, ignoring Hermione.

Andromeda saw Draco and Hermione's confused expressions and explained, "Every since Draco was cursed, I have been sending a letter to Narcissa asking her to reconsider the exile she gave Draco."

"And you also told me that he had to find his true love!" Narcissa said. "And Astoria is the most eligible, single witch I know of!"

"Cissy, it doesn't work like that." Andromeda said tiredly.

"Nonsense!" Narcissa said. "Draco could only ever love a pure-blood and Astoria's blood is the purest! After ours, of course."

Astoria rolled her eyes but didn't say anything. She had avoided looking directly at Draco since she had walked through the door. She flinched in disgust when she saw him for the first time, though.

Draco was looking as if someone had hit him over the head. Andromeda seemed to be trying to control her temper and Narcissa seemed smug. Astoria looked vaguely bored and Hermione felt as if she would scream or cry if she didn't get out of there soon.

"Well, I hope you're happy." She said bitterly to Draco. "And congratulations on the wedding. You two are great together."

She then Disapparated to Harry's house before she burst into tears. The last thing she saw was Draco's confused and slightly regretful face.

**A/N yes i know its short but it had to end there. So pretty please review my lovely readers! You make my life! **


	15. Speak Now

**A/N hello my fellow dramioners! This is the very last chapter of 'Love on the Inside'. There will be an epilogue, and thank you for reading! Every review, alert or favourite makes my day! So thanks and i don't own anything. **

Hermione watched the sunrise slowly and sighed. She was sitting cross-legged on the bed in Harry and Ginny's guest bedroom and had a window right beside her. The sky was silver but the coming sun made everything shine gold. It was much too early for Harry and Ginny to be up but Hermione couldn't sleep.

She apparated into their house as soon as she left the Black Castle. She appeared in their living room sobbing and shaking and it had taken her hours to calm down. She had told them the whole story, how she and Draco had gotten into a fight and he was marrying someone else. Harry had said she was allowed to stay with them as long as she wanted and she had already been there for three days. She couldn't eat, couldn't sleep she was so distraught.

She whimpered and shut her eyes painfully. Her heart literally hurt. She thought it was just an expression to say that you're heart was broken, but Hermione's heart really did feel shattered. It was battered and bruised so badly, it might never heal. Her heart felt as if it had been ripped in half and the jagged edges of it was cutting her chest and making it hard to breathe. She couldn't breathe without him. Draco. She whimpered again.

Suddenly, she saw something out of the corner of her eye. She looked up at the window and the morning light. An owl was flying straight for the house. She opened the window and it flew in. She took the letter from it and it flew off again.

_You have been cordially invited to the wedding of_

_Draco Lucius Malfoy_

_And_

_Astoria Estelle Greengrass_

_On Saturday June 4__th_

_At 12 o'clock in the afternoon_

Hermione screamed loudly. The scream quickly turned into laughter. Which turned into sobs. She was clutching the invitation and laughing manically as tears poured down her face.

Ginny and Harry burst through the door looking dishevelled and sleepy but holding their wands with fierce expressions on their faces.

"Hermione, are you okay?" Harry shouted. He glanced around the room and ran over to the window. He slammed it shut and turned to her again.

"What happened?" He asked.

She could just hold the invitation up; her uncontrollable sobs didn't allow her to speak.

Harry took it from her and read it quickly then passed it to his wife.

"Oh, 'Mione." Ginny said softly. She sat down next to Hermione on the bed and hugged her tight. Hermione cried into her shoulder and Harry paced the floor in front of them.

"Wait – there's something else in here." Harry said and passed the letter to her.

True enough, there was a small folded piece of paper. Hermione opened it quickly.

_Hermione – _

_I know you are very upset right now, especially if you have already read the invitation. But I just want to say I didn't send it to you to hurt you, I really do want you there. This wedding is ridiculous, you know it is. I miss you, and so does Teddy. And I know he would never admit to it, but Draco misses you most of all. _

_The reason he never told you about the love part of the curse was because he doesn't believe in love. He thought that he could cure himself without having to find his one true love. He hates love so much because after he had graduated from Hogwarts, he was planning on asking Pansy Parkinson to marry him. But she left him for Gregory Goyle, his closest friend. He felt so betrayed he swore never to love again. But I can see that he is beginning to love someone again – you._

_It scares him, this new feeling and he is only marrying Astoria to forget about you and the hurt he felt the last time he was in love. He thought love was embarrassing and a weakness, because his heart was broken. I know you have been hurt in the past as well, but I really do think that you and Draco are meant for each other. _

_Please come to the wedding, maybe if he sees you it would be enough to stop him from going through with this. Because we both know she will not be the one to break the curse and we only have two days left! The wedding is tomorrow and I really want you to be there to stop him from ruining his life. He loves you. I know he does. _

_Yours, _

_Andromeda Tonks_

Hermione put down the letter and tried to sort through her confused emotions. Ginny pulled it out of her hands and her and Harry read it quickly.

"Wow, Hermione." Harry said quietly, "Malfoy really loves you."

"Who cares if he does? You could do so much better than that git, Hermione!" Ginny said loudly.

"You should go to the wedding." Harry said. "If you really love him."

"Don't go!" Ginny shouted. "Have some pride! He doesn't deserve you!"

"Guys! Quiet!" Hermione snapped. "I need to think about this. The wedding doesn't start for another five hours anyways!"

"You're right, Hermione. We're sorry. We shouldn't try to force our opinions onto you." Harry said bashfully.

They left and Hermione got dressed into jeans and a plain t-shirt. She slipped a sweater overtop and went for a walk. She left the Potter's tiny cottage and just walked until she couldn't see it anymore. She walked and walked and walked until the sun was fully in the sky and the dew was already fading away.

She couldn't figure out the letter Andromeda had sent her. She wished it was true, but wasn't sure. Draco didn't seem like he loved her when he was telling her to die. But then again, she had said some pretty horrid things as well. She sighed and shut her eyes to block the tears she felt coming. She had always thought she was content with being alone, that was just her destiny. But ever since she had spent so much time with Draco, she no longer felt like loneliness was the answer. She opened her eyes to see the sky a brilliant shade of blue that seemed to mock her dark mood.

She dropped to the ground and shut her eyes. She ran her hands over the dewy grass and listened to the birds chirping. The wind rustled through the leaves of the old trees and she could smell the distant smell of flowers.

_I... I'm sorry, Granger. Come back._

_You look really pretty_

_Would you like to dance?_

_I'll be with you so there's nothing to worry about_

_I don't want anyone helping me with this but you_

_Hermione... _

She opened her eyes wide. She was gasping for breath. She thought back to the year she spent with him and how every word he said and every smile he gave her made her feel like nothing bad could ever happen again. He was like her anti-Dementor. And she loved him. Her heart raced with the realization and she stood up shakily. She had to stop that wedding. She ran back to the house where Ginny and Harry were sipping coffee and reading the newspaper.

"I have to get to that wedding." Hermione cried breathlessly as she burst through the door.

Harry checked his watch, "It's five to twelve! You're going to miss it!"

She must've spent longer in the forest then she had thought.

Just as Hermione was about to disapparate, Ginny cried, "Wait! I'm sorry I said you shouldn't go to the wedding. If you love him and if you heart tells you it's the right thing to do, you should go. I just want you to be happy."

Hermione hugged her friend, "Thanks, Gin."

The she disapparated to the castle that had been her home for the past year. She ran through the halls until she got to the little chapel at the back of the castle. She burst through the door just as the preacher was saying, "Speak now or forever hold your peace."

"Stop!" She cried. "I object!"

Everyone gasped and turned to stare at her. The preacher had a look of pure shock on his face, the Malfoys looked furious, the Greengrasses looked confused, Andromeda looked smug, Teddy looked excited and Astoria looked bored. Draco had the oddest expression on his face. As if he was relieved and excited to see her but also nervous. There was something else on his face, something Hermione had never seen before...

"Hermione..." He breathed.

"I'm so sorry I said those awful things to you." She said quickly. "They aren't true; I was just hurt that you said you could never love anyone. Because... because I love you, Draco."

Andromeda had a full blown grin on her face and Astoria was fiddling with her puffy, cupcake shaped wedding dress. There was only Draco's and Astoria's parents in the audience because Draco's curse was a secret. They were both standing at the front of the church and staring at her. Draco opened his mouth as if to interrupt.

"No, let me finish." She said, holding up a hand to stop him. "I'm in love with you. And the time I have spent with you means everything to me. I'm so sorry I couldn't break your curse, but I don't care what you look like. I love you for who you are and even if you are stuck looking this way forever, I wouldn't care because we would be together. And I know you don't love Astoria, so don't marry her. Even if you don't love me back, I just want you to be happy." Hermione finished quietly with tears filling her eyes and sliding down her pale cheeks.

Everyone was staring at her in complete shock. She stood there awkwardly for a second before saying, "Alright then. I've said what I came here to say so... this is it, I guess."

She turned and started walking back down the aisle towards the doors.

"Hermione!" Draco cried before running down to her. He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him.

She gave him a watery smile and wiped her tears hastily away. Her face burned with embarrassment and her heart ached with shame and longing.

"You silly fool." He said fondly. "Haven't you figured out that I'm in love with you too?"

She gasped and threw her arms around him and kissed him full on the mouth. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back. Suddenly, she felt his skin grow warmer. She pulled away from him in confusion to see him glowing radiantly. The Ange de la Terre was there as well. Draco was turning from a monster back to a man. It was magnificent. He slowly lifted in the air and had light shooting from everywhere on his body. His fingers, his eyes, everywhere. The light became so bright; Hermione had to shield her eyes from it. When it was finally over, Draco slowly came back to the ground.

In confusion and shock he held his pale, slender, _normal _hands in front of his face and then touched his cheek gently. He ran his hands over his arms and smoothed down his hair. He looked at her with bewilderment and awe and she ran to him.

"I don't understand." Hermione said.

The Ange de la Terre smiled benignly and said with a voice that sounded like a summer breeze, "You broke the spell. He had to find the person that would love him no matter what he looked like and who he loved back. You."

She smiled and lit the room with her beauty. Her long, golden hair waved in a breeze only she could feel and her white dress rustled as she moved. Her dark blue eyes were looking at Draco with pride and affection.

"It didn't hurt this time." Draco murmured. This whole time, he hadn't let go of Hermione once. "The transformation, I mean."

"Because your heart is whole again. It's not damaged; it's beautiful because of the love you have for Hermione." The Ange de la Terre said.

Hermione was crying again, but this time with joy. Astoria sighed and rolled her eyes, "If the curse thingy is broken, can I go now?"

Her and her family left and Mr and Mrs Malfoy' mouths were still hanging open with shock. The Ange de la Terre smiled and walked towards them gracefully.

"From this moment onwards, your life will be blessed with good health, happiness and love as a reward for overcoming my curse. Good luck to the both of you, I am so proud." The Ange de la Terre said and kissed both of their cheeks before vanishing.

"Hermione, I know this is short notice, but will you marry me?" Draco asked. "We're all set up for a wedding right here and I love you so much. I'm sorry I don't have a ring, I'll get you one I promise."

"Yes, yes!" Hermione cried and kissed him again.

Suddenly , there was a bright light and a set of golden wedding rings fell into Draco's hand. They were exquisite and magical looking and Hermione knew they were from the Ange de la Terre. Draco pulled her up at the front of the church, before the preacher who still looked a little shell-shocked. He tied their wand hands together to symbolize their bonding.

"Er, do you Draco Malfoy take Hermione Granger to be your lawful wedded wife through sickness and health, poorness and wealth, 'til death do you part?" He asked.

"I do." Draco whispered and slid the blessed wedding ring onto Hermione's finger.

"And do you, Hermione Granger take this man to be your lawful wedded husband through sickness and health, poorness and wealth, 'til death do you part?"

"I do." Hermione said tearfully. She put Draco's ring on his finger.

"You may now kiss the bride."

Draco kissed Hermione gently and the preacher untied their hands. Hermione's heart felt filled to the top from all the love she had for Draco. She was so happy she couldn't stop smiling.

When they were leaving the church, they passed a stain glass window of a beautiful angel smiling. It looked like the Ange de la Terre, always watching over them.

**A/N *sob* this is it. The end. Please please please review! I might have an epilogue, and i might not so pretty please review and tell me what you think! i worked so hard on this story and i am so grateful to everyone who reviewed, alerted or favourite my story or me as the author. It means so much to me so thank you again! **


	16. Epilogue

**A/N so this is the epilogue, it's in draco's POV just like the prologue. I don't own anything i had so much fun writing this and thank you for reading! **

Seven Months Later

Draco smiled at his aunt as she poured him another glass of elderflower wine. It was Christmas and Andromeda was throwing her now annual Christmas party. Harry and Ginny had been invited along with their four month old baby, James. Teddy was delighted with the new baby and couldn't wait to teach him how to fly a broom and play Quidditch. He had plans to start a Quidditch team with him. Draco listened to his little cousin chatter happily and waited for his wife to come downstairs. Teddy wandered off to play with his news presents and left Harry and Draco to make small talk.

"So..." Harry said awkwardly to Draco.

"How are things?" Draco said just as awkwardly.

Ginny smirked at the two of them and their stilted conversation. Draco was trying to be nicer to his wife's friends. It was harder then it seemed.

Suddenly he saw Hermione walk through the giant wooden doors and into the ballroom. She smiled at him and he lost his breath for a second. Her hair was down and in gentle ringlets instead of wild curls and she was wearing a deep green strapless ball gown with black gloves. Her wedding ring showed clearly against the black silk and Draco was brought back to the memories of their wedding day. She walked up to him and stood just as shyly before him as she was last Christmas when he was just beginning to fall in love with her.

"Care to dance?" She asked softly.

He pulled her close and twirled her around the beautiful ballroom she tilted her head back and laughed and he smiled. Their eyes met again and he could tell she was still taking in the wonder of the curse breaking and his new face. But he could never stop being in awe over her beauty as well.

Ginny and Harry were slow dancing and Andromeda was watching both couples with a sort of sad smile on her face.

Draco glanced down at Hermione's still flat stomach. She was two months pregnant with a little girl and wasn't showing yet. They planned on naming her Terra. And Angela for the middle name. Terra Angela Malfoy. After the angel that had blessed their life and made them fall in love.

Draco led her outside and they stood on the balcony in the cool December air together. The moon was whole and as white as the snow the covered the castle and the stars were as bright as Hermione's eyes. She took his hand and kissed him gently on the lips.

Hermione whistled loudly and suddenly her magic carpet flew down out of her window to the young couple standing on the balcony.

"I taught it to do that." She said with a wink.

He helped her settle onto it. She was a lot more comfortable riding on it now than she was when she first got it, thanks to all the nights they had spent flying around Scotland on it.

The carpet lifted into the air and flew gently away from the lights of the castle and into the darkness of the unknown. He put his arm around Hermione and held her close. The silver moon was shining over them as they flew over trees and rivers and the snowing was falling gently around them.

"Merry Christmas." Draco whispered to his wife. "I love you."

**A/N awwww now im sad! I will miss writing this story. But please please with sugar on top review! It would just make my Christmas *puppy dog eyes*. So merry Christmas/happy holidays/happy new year everyone! **


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